Recently I had the pleasure of taking a train journey from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, Pa. This was my first time on the famous American rail tracks and boy did I love the experience.
The coaches were spacious and the seats more than enough for my petite frame. But I really enjoyed the view even more. The train, named aptly as the Pennsylvanian, travels about 300 miles. It journeys through beautiful hills and valleys and past some quaint towns. And as I gazed out of the window at this scenery, I was transported back in time to other places, to other train journeys.
As a kid, twice every year during the school holidays in India, I used to travel with my parents from our small town to visit my grandparents and the rest of the family in the city. While the vacations in themselves used to be quite memorable, the train journeys were nothing less. I remember that we used to get up early on the day of the travel to reach the station. My eyes would sting with sleep. Most of the time I was given the window seat and the next 6 to 7 hours would pass by in watching people and eating snacks. This was a routine for a long time. And it stopped only when I moved out of my childhood home to pursue higher studies.
Since we were regular travelers on that route, we became acquainted with most of the hawkers on the train. Even now, more than a decade after relocating from that small town, sometimes when my parents travel on the same route they are still greeted by some familiar faces on the train. Things like these make life so worthwhile in my opinion.
One of my most memorable train journeys was for a trip that I took with my college friends in 2009. It was on the famous Coromandel Express and lasted for more than a day (the train travels a whopping distance of more than 1000 miles!). There were seven of us traveling together and the train itself wasn’t the most comfortable one. But little did we care. All that distance passed by in no time while we constantly talked and gossiped and pulled each others’ legs. Even the simplest things like a train meal brought forth so much of discussion. And if my memory serves me correctly, we also played cards to truly experience an epic Indian train journey.
On several occasions in the past, we went on trips with the extended family. And no, I am not talking of a few people. Rather, think of something along the lines of 30-35 members traveling together for a vacation. During those trips, we booked an entire train bogie and settle down as if we were at home. All the cousins would huddle together in the midst of the utter chaos and demand to sleep in adjacent berths so as to talk all night long. But alas! Our parents never allowed that and instead put us in berths close to our mothers. We would still plan to stay up the entire night as a sign of protest. But the rocking of the train would make us fall asleep in no time even with all the excitement in us.
Those were the times of innocence and living without a care. What would I give now to have just another moment like that?
One of my most beloved poems titled Ithaca by C.P Cavafy talks about how the journey in itself is a beautiful experience and I couldn’t agree more with that sentiment. Sometimes it becomes more important the destination itself. Train journeys have always made me feel that way. The glimpses of a world passing by a train window always remind me how everything is transient and we are mere visitors in this grand life.
One last thing before I end this piece. Back in my childhood train journeys there always used to be some kids standing by the railway tracks, waving at the train. I guess that’s an urge we all have when we see a train, even as an adult. And I never missed the chance to wave back. This gesture felt like a tiny connection with someone I would never know or see again.
On the way to Philly, there is a point where the train passes by the famous horseshoe curve in Altoona, Pa. During my trip, I was looking out of the window and saw an Amish family visiting the model engine on display there. Suddenly the kids started waving at the train. It was like a piece back from my childhood. And I realized once again that people, after all, are not all that different across the world.
Peace
Do you have any related experience or story to tell? Please share in the comments below. I would love to hear from you.
Loved reading it. It reminded me of our childhood days. We used to go to visit grandparents to during our vacations! One thing I vividly remember is how my emotions changed to sadness with the end of the vacation while I travelled on the same train in the same tracks!
Thank you for sharing that!!