Souvenirs

The timing of my road trip this week is fortuitous.  The flow of ideas has been sluggish and there is no better antidote for mental constipation than travel.  While my mind does tend to wander during my daily commutes in the car, sometimes even happening upon interesting topics, I do miss the days when I would take the train to work.  Trains are romantic.  The sight of the tracks going off in both directions until you can't see where they lead, but you can imagine.  The whistle,  a harbinger of adventure.  The rhythmic sound, rocking you side to side.  The conductor walking up and down the aisle punching tickets.  The tickets, proof that you are going somewhere, anywhere.  But you know that you've been accepted into the train culture when he pretends to punch your ticket every few days.  Being Miss. Law and Order I was somewhat bothered by this deception but also flattered to be quietly invited into their commuting fraternity.

There is something about being in motion that invites reflection and conversation.  Whether it was a conversation I was participating in,  eavesdropping on or projecting onto a fellow passenger from my imagination, I learned something new every day on the train to work.  At the end of the week on the Friday afternoon trip to our respective homes, we would meet in the dining car for a drink.  It was a good rhythm to the week.  While I don't take the train to work now I have a similar rhythm in that every Friday after a week of working I meet my boyfriend and over red wine we catch up.  Process all that has happened since we last saw each other and make plans for the future, whether that be the next hour, weekend, or year.  These plans usually involve food.

We leave for Montreal in about 36 hours, and I'm excited to be visiting somewhere new.  Exploring and eating, eating and exploring, and many hours in the car to talk and think.  I'm not certain if I'll be writing when I'm away, but I'm looking forward to seeing which experiences that I can bring back with me.  While my children might get trinkets from my travels, you will get souvenirs.