I took a trip to Vancouver, BC, once. It was in the mid 1980's. I had just started working for DHHS, SSA, OHA. A very long acronym for Department of Health and Human Services, Social Security Administration, Office of Hearings and Appeals. I took out garbage and shredded for 3 months at minimum wage which was at that time $2.90 per hour, until they liked me and hired me on permanent in the mail room where I would stay for the next 2 years. It was my first paid office job.
Now that I am a bona-fide office worker I want to take a vacation. I wanted to go somewhere cold and all by myself. Somehow I picked Vancouver, BC. It was January folks. I thought it would snow and I didn't want to go to a ski resort. Like I know how to ski anyway. Plus I thought it would be too expensive and I wanted someplace different.
I also decided not to fly up. I decided to really go all the way and take that train. It would take 24 hours to get there. But I thought it's not the destination it's the journey so what the heck. The train left Sacramento, CA, at 11pm and ended in Seattle, WA, at 6pm. From there it was a bus trip up to Vancouver, BC. I didn't bother getting a sleeping berth. I can stay up in the seat for a day. I'm young I thought. I had watched all those old movies that showed all those characters from the 1930's through the 1950's on the train. I thought it would be kinda cool to do just that. I hadn't taken into account progress and updating. It wasn't quite like the movies.
The seats were BIG. And assigned. Two per side and really comfortable. I was able to get next to the window. The train itself was full which surprised me. But everyone seemed pleasant. There were some veteran train travelers that gave me some pointers. Such as keep your coat down as it will get a bit chilly. They were right. It did. My seat mate was a single man in his mid to late 20's and little scruffy looking. Who am I to complain though. Off we go and it wasn't too long before I and my other travelers realized that my seatmate was a bit drunk and very flirty - with everyone. Eventually he settled down to just me. Lucky me. Then as we were several hours into the trip he wanted to share his sleeping bag with me. Ewwwwe. I very nicely said thank you but no thanks. So, rebuffed he went searching elsewhere for companionship. Why I didn't just changed seats you ask. Well there weren't any other seats available - I asked. The train really was full.
I eventually fell asleep just to wake up to my seatmate's head on my shoulder and his sleeping bag around me. Now we can really say ewwwe. I extricated myself from him and went to breakfast in the dining car. Now in the dining car you share tables with other passengers. I really liked this. I was able to talk to all kinds of really nice people. So this morning I sat with a nice couple that when they saw me they motioned me to sit with them. The first question they asked was "Are you all right?". How nice of them to be concerned. They then related to me the events of my seatmate the night before and that evidently most of the train was aware he was sitting next to me and they felt sorry for me. Wow, now that was news. And I felt grateful for all their good wishes.
Now all day he was very contrite towards me and a tad bit too solicitous. He asked where I was going and all that. He stated that at Seattle he would then head east with the train towards Minneapolis. Good I said to myself as I breathed a sign of relief.
So at 6pm we come into Seattle. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. We came across the Puget Sound at dusk. Awesome. Then it was off the train right next to the Space Needle. Cool. Then onto a bus. Only about 10 people were on the bus to Canada. But so was this man, my seatmate. Now I start to get nervous. He sits in the back of the bus all by himself as the rest of us were up front. I finally asked the bus driver if he bought his ticket at the last minute and he had. I relayed the ordeal from the night before as did all the other passengers. He was too kind. He said he would take care of it. So at the border we went across and reboarded - this time without my seatmate. I saw from bus that the driver had had him stopped and detained. I was so relieved and thankful for that bus driver. Then all the other passengers gave me their phone numbers in case I needed anything during my trip. They were really looking out for me.
I have rarely felt so blessed and looked after. Let's just say that I haven't taken a train since but I am bound to not let that experience keep me from enjoying another trip. It is the journey not the destination.
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