The Prowl: The Amtrak Relationship
Since I've started seeing someone who lives outside DC, I have a new fondness for Amtrak which helps sustain my Friday through Sunday romance.
The number of things that Vice President Joe Biden and I have in common has recently increased. While I am not exactly keeping a running tally, I feel it is safe to say that we both have fairly positive thoughts about Amtrak. This is not because of some romanticized vision of trains or even because of any views we might hold about environmental or transportation policy; while I cannot speak for the Vice President, at least for me, it's really just that Amtrak allows for a fast exit from DC.
Why am I so keen of late to escape the District for other metropolitan areas along the northeastern corridor? Well, there are several reasons. First, DC is small and once the working day/week is over, it is frankly not very interesting regardless of what Washingtonian or DCist or whatever other style website is out there indicating to the contrary. Second, and admittedly biasing my opinion, I have recently begun "seeing" someone who lives elsewhere. Thus, Amtrak.
Given that no one is actually from DC, and those who live here make active efforts to stay connected to their true roots and live fairly transient lives as a result, this sort of Friday through Sunday-style relationship, sustained through late night phone calls and daytime BBMing, is not actually at all uncommon. This of course does not necessarily mean that it is an easy way to go about a relationship, especially in its early stages.
As background, it is worth noting that I never remotely thought long distance was something I would ever try, again. Yes, again. When I graduated from college and moved to graduate school, my then boyfriend and I--for reasons that remain thoroughly unclear to my smarter and wiser present day self-- opted to try to stay together. Somehow, we would be the couple that was able to transcend such a paltry physical obstacle as geography. Of course, this was stupid. We were not able to transcend what turned out to be not-so-paltry geography. And with this history, I am not entirely certain why I agreed to try long distance again.
Or so I tell myself--as the train chug chugs through the Pennsylvania countryside, listening to ambitious go-getters continue to network as the train is well passed Union Station, while random strangers fall asleep on my shoulder. My parents met several decades ago in Rome while on vacation. When they were both back in the States, my Dad, who was living in New York, called up my Mom, who was living in Boston, and essentially invited himself up for the weekend (she did give him the wrong address half by mistake though). They continued living in New York and Boston, seeing each other as train schedules permitted, for over two years while they dated until they got married. I suppose this is proof that a commuter romance can be done despite my own failed effort several years ago.
Returning to the issue of why I don't simply meet a nice boy in DC (it's not exactly like there is a shortage of eligible 20 and 30-somethings), which would save me the trek further North on weekends (and the frantic cleaning Friday nights in preparation for his arrival on my end) - I really don't know. I guess it just hasn't worked out that way. I met this new fellow while I was visiting a friend from grad school and one thing simply led to another. Of course by this I mean that he seemed pretty interested, and came to DC the next weekend under the guise of some trumped up occasion--but really, as it turned out, for some quality handholding and eye complimenting and charming conversation. This in turn produced very cliché feelings of butterflies in my stomach, hours agonizing over what exactly to email him back to get the right bantery tone, and more hours primping for much-awaited reconvening.
After his initial gesture of goodwill, with all of the above transpiring seemingly equally on both sides, without even really thinking about it, we just fell into a pattern that is working out rather nicely, even if perhaps seemingly unconventional to those accustomed to actually seeing their significant others during the week. Also, as I said in the beginning, I am really starting to actually like the train as something more than a mode of transport with instrumental value. I have begun to recognize the regulars making my same trip. One guy who I believe is actually a freshman congressman can be frequently spotted clandestinely trying to pour himself some Maker’s Mark as he attacks his briefing books. Then there are the horde of college students returning home for a weekend and the businessmen and women on their smartphones and laptops anxious to appear busy and important as they loudly discuss next quarter's projections and the most recent polling numbers. I also like to try to pick out others like me who are very antsy to arrive and have not quite learned yet to relax and settle into a routine as some of the more seasoned travelers have.
As great as trains are however -- and as much as I feel Republicans are silly for wanting to cut Amtrak subsidies (it remains a mystery to me why tickets already are so expensive and I am certain this must be from sort of market failure or something) -- my newfound commitment to rail likely cannot last forever. For now though, I really am genuinely enjoying spending my Friday evening on the Acela, and significantly less so my Sunday nights returning.