Cross-country train ride! Part Dos

I am now on the train from D.C. to Chicago, by way of Pittsburgh. I’m not exactly sure why Maggie and I went all the way down to D.C. only to come back up to PA and go through Pittsburgh to head out toward Chicago, but whatever. We got to spend two hours in D.C., am I complaining? No.

Speaking of spending two hours in D.C., after Maggie and I got off at Union Station, we checked our bags for Denver and headed out to the National Portrait Gallery. We walked in, headed toward the hall of presidents and, there he was: Stephen Colbert. The portrait, of course (the person? Oh, if I could be so lucky…). There was a small but significant crowd, as well as a two-person camera crew interviewing people and getting footage of onlookers who came to see Stephen’s portrait. It was hilarious. After Maggie and I both took pictures, we went down to the featured exhibit: Katharine Hepburn. Oh, swoon, I love her. It was a very small exhibit, one tiny room of pictures, film posters and art of Kate. But it was wonderful. They also had her four (unprecedented) Oscars on display, and the red sweater she always wore in her later years.

As we were walking back to the station (no point in trying to do anything else, lest we end up being late), I felt a little weird, a little anxious. My last visit to D.C. was only about a month ago. But the difference this time is that I’m not heading home, I’m going away from it. It suddenly felt like I was standing alone and apart from everything around me. Not an empty loneliness, mind you, but it was slightly disconcerting.

Actually, I suspect the reason Maggie and I were sent down to D.C. was so we could sort of “collect” other NCCC travelers; we met another girl, Thúy-Tiên, while we were sitting at the station gate. I was originally under the impression that she would be meeting us in Chicago, but I must have misunderstood because she was there in the waiting area. She called me and was like, “Uh, Hayley? I think I’m sitting behind you.” Hehe. Also, while Maggie and I were waiting, we spied a guy in a gray AmeriCorps hoodie across the waiting area. We ended up falling in behind him as we had our tickets checked and boarded the train. I snuck a peak at his nametag – Doug. As of right now, he occupies the seat in front of mine. He’s a vet, he did the 2005 Winter Cycle in Denver. And he gave me an unexpected head’s up – my unit leader is apparently hard core. Oh, rapture. =) Psh, no big. As if I don’t expect to be faced with any challenges in this program. I’d prefer it sooner instead of later, I don’t want to settle into any bad habits.

This train ride is both wonderful and frustrating. Wonderful because of all of the things that I’m seeing out the window. Frustrating because I can’t really take pictures of those things. A moving train is not conducive to a clear photograph. It’s the little things, mostly. Deer grazing, a busted couch sitting out in the middle of a field; little things that make a community feel familiar to its inhabitants.