I don’t know why I prefer taking the train, if given the option of taking the bus, plane, car, or train; I’ll pick the train. I decided this weekend to take a spontaneous trip to visit my friend Gemma Aston who lives in Nottingham. Everyone else in the group had planned a trip to Edinburgh which left me on my own in the flat, which was already rather boring by Friday evening. The reason I didn’t go with them is that I like to keep to my own schedule, make my own plans, and I wait for no man. I was also reluctant to join them mainly because their choice of transportation was a nine hour bus ride and they had planned to stay at a hostel. I have a family friend who I can email ahead of time to ask if I could stay over at her house, which I plan to when it comes time for my own trip.
Friday night I spontaneously decided to pack a large bag and texted Gemma asking if I could stay with her. Saturday I eventually figured out the correct place to get a train to Nottingham, after going to Charing Cross, being told to go to Kings Cross instead, and then being told to walk across the street to St Pancras. I left the flat at 11am and arrived at St Pancras at 12:30pm breathing heavily, the suitcase was a bad idea. After sometime of standing around confused I made some educated guesses and found myself eating a pastie sitting in front of the correct gate for the train to Nottingham.
The train ride was better then I had expected, the seats were more comfortable then any other bus, plane, or car that I’ve ridden on. I enjoyed sitting in the group seats, which were four seats situated around a table, I can’t really explain why, but I just loved the idea of sitting at a table while moving. It also allowed for the opportunity to talk about comics with this cute girl named Katie who goes to uni at Nottingham, who actually did take me up on my offer of reading one of my comics during the train ride. Being able to look out the window on the train and see nothing but fields of infinite horizon, without sharing the view with cars or buses, it was just peaceful. I’m glad I took the train, and I will keep doing so.
