The
Magic of Train Travel
A few months ago my dear friend
of forty years treated me to a train trip that started in Seattle and ended in
Los Angeles. We took a break for a few days in San Francisco.
Is it because we are all in such
a hurry? Sure, you can fly from Seattle to San Francisco in two hours as
compared to a day and a half on the train. Granted, it doesn’t make sense to
take the train if you are on a business trip or are limited for time. It’s not
even the way to go if you are on vacation unless you envision the train ride as
part of the joy of your time off.
For me, I haven’t been on a train
in about twenty years. The last train I rode was in Europe, and that was an
entirely different “high speed” experience.
Driving down the west coast was
always on my mental list of dream things I’d like to do one day when I had
time. When my friend suggested this train trip, I jumped for joy like a girl
again. It would be better than taking a car. I’d get to spend quality
time with my friend, chat, doze, play games, read… we could eat in the dining
car—another dream experience for me—and watch the scenery change from urban to
rural, flatland to mountain, field to forest.
Trains are romantic, and an aura
of déjà vu cloaks them in a mystique that belongs to bygone times. As we move
ever faster in our very functional world, we risk losing appreciation for
things that take time. We can even forget that it isn’t always about getting
from A to B, but sometimes it’s about the journey itself.
When I was invited to contribute
a short story to Volume 1 of A Holiday Anthology by Exquisite
Quills, my summer train ride came to mind right away and my contribution, Shooting
Star Holiday Express, was born. This time I saw the journey
as a winter trip. Bella White and her daughter Julie were traveling south to
San Francisco for Christmas. Julie doesn’t know her mom just lost her job, and
Bella doesn’t have the heart to cancel the trip. Since her husband died,
nothing has brought a sparkle to Julie’s eyes except this train trip. Christmas
magic blends with train magic when something unexpected happens on their
journey.
If you like a slightly longer
read, I’ve written an autumn novella, AutumnMasquerade, and a Christmas ghost love story, Christmas Spirits.
Do you have a train trip to
share with us?
