Sometimes you need to just get away from the space you live in, even if just for a weekend. If you're stressing over a problem, can't seem to focus, often it's better to walk away from the matter at hand and come back to it with a different perspective.
I spent this past weekend in Richmond, Va. visiting Isadora and Antimony. Just getting there turned into a nightmare and I had thought about turning around and heading home a few times.
Initially I was to catch a 3:40pm train from NJ to Washington DC. Once in DC I would have a 65 minute layover to get a second train to Richmond. I got to the train station with about 5 minutes to spare and walked through the tunnel to the platform. As I got to the platform at 3:39 the train I needed was pulling away.
Now as someone who travels by rail quite a bit I have tons of schedules in my bag at all times. So I checked to see if I could work out an alternate plan on the fly. The next train to DC was an hour later which gave me just five minutes to make the connection once I got there. I thought that would be next to impossible and considered packing it in right there. But there was no way I wanted to let the girls down. I hadn't seen them in over a year.
I spoke to the ticket agent to see if she thought that I could make the transfer in DC within five minutes. Looking up the schedule of my connecting train she told me it was already running an hour and fifteen minutes late, so I shouldn't have a problem. Called the girls and left them message number one. I'll be an hour or so late, but I'll be there.
Once I arrived in DC I checked the status of my second train and it was now running two hours late. Made another phone call and then went to have dinner. After getting bored of sitting in DC for so long I decided to download Suduko to my phone just to have something to keep me busy. Somewhere around the tenth game or so my connecting train finally arrived, three hours late. So I called the girls and gave them my estimated arrival time.
Fortunately, the train did well getting through some traffic and made up about 15 minutes of the delay between DC and Richmond, so I got in a little early and waited for the girls to pick me up.
Now I've spent a few sleepless night at the girls house before. We just get talking and talking and talking and then all of the suddent the sun is up and we finally realize it's time for bed. Of course, since we hadn't seen each other in so long this was another one of those times. We got caught up on some very important things. And I was able to get a lot of frustration out about a certain mutual friend we share. It was nice to know that they understood how I felt and I was finally able to vent to someone who could relate to what I had been put through.
The next morning I felt so refreshed. Although I had only slept a few hours, It wasn't sleep that I had needed to make me feel better. It was everything that I was able to say the night before. I felt a real release from the anger that had been stewing in me for a long time now.
We hit the grocery store in the afternoon for some items. I had planned on making the girls a nice dinner. We got some salmon which I cooked over fresh snow peas and made a roasted red pepper pesto cream sauce to go over top of it. Man, that was a great meal. We watched a movie during dinner and then proceed to have another long night of talking gossip, spilling the beans, and general venting of current and past woes. All while snuggled in a big pile on the couch.
It's difficult to put into words how much i love these two girls. They always make me feel so incredibly welcome when I come to visit. They go beyond being the average friend and make me feel like I've know them forever. I certainly hope I do. I can't imagine my life without them in it.
And today it was back to work, but with a weight lifted off of my shoulders. That is the true joy of traveling. It always gives you a new perspective on life to take home with you.
I spent this past weekend in Richmond, Va. visiting Isadora and Antimony. Just getting there turned into a nightmare and I had thought about turning around and heading home a few times.
Initially I was to catch a 3:40pm train from NJ to Washington DC. Once in DC I would have a 65 minute layover to get a second train to Richmond. I got to the train station with about 5 minutes to spare and walked through the tunnel to the platform. As I got to the platform at 3:39 the train I needed was pulling away.
Now as someone who travels by rail quite a bit I have tons of schedules in my bag at all times. So I checked to see if I could work out an alternate plan on the fly. The next train to DC was an hour later which gave me just five minutes to make the connection once I got there. I thought that would be next to impossible and considered packing it in right there. But there was no way I wanted to let the girls down. I hadn't seen them in over a year.
I spoke to the ticket agent to see if she thought that I could make the transfer in DC within five minutes. Looking up the schedule of my connecting train she told me it was already running an hour and fifteen minutes late, so I shouldn't have a problem. Called the girls and left them message number one. I'll be an hour or so late, but I'll be there.
Once I arrived in DC I checked the status of my second train and it was now running two hours late. Made another phone call and then went to have dinner. After getting bored of sitting in DC for so long I decided to download Suduko to my phone just to have something to keep me busy. Somewhere around the tenth game or so my connecting train finally arrived, three hours late. So I called the girls and gave them my estimated arrival time.
Fortunately, the train did well getting through some traffic and made up about 15 minutes of the delay between DC and Richmond, so I got in a little early and waited for the girls to pick me up.
Now I've spent a few sleepless night at the girls house before. We just get talking and talking and talking and then all of the suddent the sun is up and we finally realize it's time for bed. Of course, since we hadn't seen each other in so long this was another one of those times. We got caught up on some very important things. And I was able to get a lot of frustration out about a certain mutual friend we share. It was nice to know that they understood how I felt and I was finally able to vent to someone who could relate to what I had been put through.
The next morning I felt so refreshed. Although I had only slept a few hours, It wasn't sleep that I had needed to make me feel better. It was everything that I was able to say the night before. I felt a real release from the anger that had been stewing in me for a long time now.
We hit the grocery store in the afternoon for some items. I had planned on making the girls a nice dinner. We got some salmon which I cooked over fresh snow peas and made a roasted red pepper pesto cream sauce to go over top of it. Man, that was a great meal. We watched a movie during dinner and then proceed to have another long night of talking gossip, spilling the beans, and general venting of current and past woes. All while snuggled in a big pile on the couch.
It's difficult to put into words how much i love these two girls. They always make me feel so incredibly welcome when I come to visit. They go beyond being the average friend and make me feel like I've know them forever. I certainly hope I do. I can't imagine my life without them in it.
And today it was back to work, but with a weight lifted off of my shoulders. That is the true joy of traveling. It always gives you a new perspective on life to take home with you.
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Oh no the shoes didnt cost that much. only like 20 something. But i almost spent $100 in one day. I dont even know how. hahaha.
that sucks about your traveling adventure.