If you're reading this, you probably already know that I commute from San Jose to San Francisco almost every day using Caltrain. My past experience with trains has been limited to traveling for fun. Having a daily train routine is a whole different ball game. I have two hours (or more if I miss the Baby Bullet) to ride the train, and it's given me ample time to think about all the reasons I love it. I thought I'd share them with you all. Since I'm using this post as a mental break from work, I'm only going to post one or two reasons at a time, so stay tuned for further updates.
Reason #1: It gives my day the perfect structure.
If you know me at all, you know that I like being by myself. I like being with people too, but at heart, I'm an introvert who recharges during my alone time. I'm also blessed with fantastic friends and a very busy social life in San Jose. When I first realized that 12 hours of my day would be taken up by commuting and working, I was at a loss as to how I was going to keep up the social pace and still have the time to engage in those solitary activities that keep me sane: praying, reading, listening to music, and mentally processing my life. My train commute gives me an hour in the morning to connect with God, just me and Him and hundreds of other oblivious train passengers. This sets the tone for my day. I put in my eight hours of work and I look forward to another hour of time when I can do whatever I feel like doing on my own. I can read a novel or the news, I can start up a conversation with the passenger next to me, I can pray for that lady who looks like she's having a tough day, I can listen to Southbound Train and feel like my internal world is in sync with the greater world around me, or I can stare out the window and wonder at all of the random little towns on the train line. I get off the train feeling refreshed and ready for some social time (which is perfect, since most of my evenings are booked). Who knew that structuring my time around a train commute would be so perfect for my weird introvert/extrovert personality?
Reason #2: It's More Entertaining Than Television (Sometimes)
Did you know you can drink alcohol on Caltrain? It's true. This (apparently) makes Caltrain optimal for date transportation. Take a wild guess as to how many dates I've inadvertently witnessed up close: the answer is 1. But I'm hoping for more in the future, because, boy, let me tell you, it was entertaining. So much more entertaining than those obviously-scripted dating shows on MTV. This date was real. This date was gritty. This date was a train wreck (no pun intended). Let me tell you about it: enter male and female daters. Pretty sure this was a first date because neither one seemed to know much about the other. I don't know male's name, so we'll call him Joe. I do know female's name because she had to correct Joe when he botched it. Twice. "Laurie, would you like some more wine?" "It's Laura" "So, Lauren, what are you studying?" "Not Lauren, Laura". This guy liked to ask questions, but he wasn't particularly interested in poor Laura's answer. For example, after that second question, "What are you studying?" and Laura's response, "Not Lauren you idiot, Laura", Joe launched into a very long explanation of what he studied in school (political science, the major of many a self-absorbed jerk). Long story short, he ended our train ride by spilling a good amount of red wine on her top. Maybe you should have stuck with white on the train, Joe.
Reason # 3: You Can Drink on the Train
Enough said.
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