Since I began driving at age 16 I have struggled to enjoy the method. I dislike the waste of gas, the rush hour traffic, and the valuable time squandered away while focusing on the road. As a result I have adopted different ways to get around.
It isn’t uncommon for me to ride my bike to and from Sandy and Salt Lake City. I greatly enjoy the scenic view of Salt Lake City along Wasatch Boulevard. One can see all the way from the Great Salt Lake to the Kennecott Copper Mine. By the time I reach my destination via bike I have had time to think about life and certainly obtained my daily dose of exercise.
The majority of my transportation occurs on the UTA bus system. I am proud to say that I have mastered the 220 UTA bus route. I know exactly what time, what bus, will be where. It takes approximately six minutes for me to walk from my house to the bus stop. Then I typically wait for two to five minutes, jump on my bus, and head to school while I work on homework, study for a test, or read a bit. I also enjoy watching people and have found the bus to be the perfect place to do so. Who is sitting next to who? What do they look like? What are they doing? Where could they be going? Such questions keep me entertained as the wheels on the bus go round and round.
I can only wonder the kinds of people I would encounter on a train! It had never dawned on me that riding the train is still an option for transportation. After looking on the internet I have learned that the California Zephyr runs between Oakland and Chicago and stops is Salt Lake City. If I were to leave today I could catch the train at 11:30 p.m. and embark on a 19 hour journey to Oakland, California for 97 dollars (includes return ticket).
Riding the train is something I plan on doing in the near future. I have recorded it on my extensive list of things I want to see, hear, smell, feel, and do. While my plans to swim in the Blue Grotto in Italy are still on hold, I truly hope travel via train within the next year.
I agree with that! I often walk or bike in the winter and see the crowded roads (people start driving so much more the moment it starts snowing) and look at the drivers with a mix of pity and frustrated curiosity--how can you bear to lock yourself alone in a stuffy box like that when you could be out here in the open air or around other people? When you could travel in a way that makes the journey real, that connects you more to the world around you instead of cutting life off?
ReplyDeleteMy brother asked me if I wanted to take the train to Denver sometime this summer the night before this class started. I too hadn't realized it was possible! I was excited to hear in class that the route was supposed to be so beautiful.