Chester, NJ. I arrived back home last night after four days on and off of trains. In Montana, a freight train jumped the rails ahead of us. As a result, we were all put on buses and driven around the accident to the next open train stop. The ordeal put us nine hours behind schedule. Amtrak, I think, handled the whole thing well. They put me up in a hotel in Chicago and gave me some cash for food & taxi. If anything, the delay was a bonus for me. I got to spend the afternoon with my brother, Sam, and check out the Art Institute again.
If anything, the train experience underscored a recurring theme of this trip: I am not in control. Even if I pay an admission price, receive a printed copy detailing the time and date of arrival, and put my trust in modern technology (we can argue later whether or not Amtrak qualifies), there are still accidents. Even, as in the bike trip, when every facet of the planning process and the means of locomotion are up to me, these things still happen. And how much hinges on how I perceive those accidents! A testament to universal chaos? We met a “faith-walker” in western Montana who would call it a “divine appointment”. I’m not quite there, yet. First things first: surrendering control and being alright with that.
I’ve broken the photos into two albums below. If you have any trouble accessing them, please let me know. I hope you enjoy them.
