For the smattering of civilization one sees passing through North Dakota, I have to say I expected to see less. Looking out the dark window, I'd say every couple minutes you'll see a lonely light drift by. We've even passed a few towns.
North Dakota isn't much to look at after the twilight hours. At least that chronic regret my camera is in my checked bag has finally gone away. And it's not quite ten but the lounge car has about cleared out. I took an hour long nap earlier today, so I won't try to go to bed until at least midnight. I'm hoping we'll get to Fargo before then, so I can get an (ironic) breath of fresh air with the smokers. I've been on this train for 20 hours straight, but around 30 hours since I left Portland. The monotony isn't really getting to me, though. There are plenty of people to look at, when it's not dark you can blow hours just staring out at America.
A woman I met commented how you meet such interesting people on trains. I disagree. I've met a little north of half a dozen people on this train, and they haven't been that interesting. Nearly everyone is either unemployed and looking for greener pastures, retired and traveling, or getting from point A to point B without a deadline or with a budget. These people aren't that interesting. But what they are is friendly. It's just standard procedure that on trains, we talk to one another. We introduce ourselves to strangers. An older woman asked a young man if his ringtone had a name. She was hard of hearing, and though she always missed her own tone, she was catching his every time. A bunch of unemployed blue collar types chat about how de-railings happen surprisingly often--and remain utterly undisturbed. The lesson of trains isn't how interesting everybody around you is. It's how interesting we can all become if we just say hello every now and again.
It just occurred to me that being the geographical center of the continent must mean you're pretty damn far from the ocean. I had my toes in the Pacific on Friday. That's not even a long weekend ago. And Wednesday night I'll roll into Boston. Trains are still really fucking fast.
And I am (with the help of questionable logic) past halfway. I've crossed the geographical center and I'm headed east. In all actuality, I'm more like 1/3 of the way there. I left Portland just over a day ago, and I'll hit Boston in just under two. I can't believe it, but I almost wish it could last longer. Spending the whole day just reading, sleeping, gazing at the landscape--and then watching a movie when all that gets old. It's a nice way to spend a day.
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