You would normally never be able guess where I am right now.
The most honest answer is that I haven’t the foggiest clue where I am. Somewhere about five minutes north of Bakersfield on an Amtrak train headed home to the lovely little oasis of Oakley, California. Its good to be going home, and as I glide a single story above the ground on the top level of this five car train, with a sunrise to my left and the retreating darkness to my right, I cannot help but feel the anticipation growing within me as I realize I am alive.
The most wonderful phenomena just happened. As a child I had made flip-books, but that was so elementary to what I just experienced. As we passed by another train on the tracks, my view of the distant hills illuminated by the approaching sunrise strobed as I was only allowed to peer through the gaps between the cargo cars. As an aspiring filmmaker, I know that this kinetic movement of images is what the human brain knows to be a movie, or in proper terms, cinema. It’s all light and magic, and I loved it.
I feel very alive right now. Everything is wonderful and beautiful even in the darkness. The sun is poised to rise any minute now. Its 5:12 am and I am on my way home. Its been so long since I have been home, and with the stresses of finals, work, no breaks, no stop to the repetition I find myself longing for the simple life of little Oakley, California--my retreat from the rigors of going to school in Las Angeles. I have been overwhelmed lately with finals week preparations from the spring semester that ended back in May, the immediate exhaustion from two intensive summer classes that could best be described as ‘academia onslaught’, and the stresses of working two jobs. My mom will love the great news: A’s in both classes; she’ll be so proud. It has all been adding up on top of itself though, and I found my need for escape so great that I had to get out, and fast.
Driving all the way home would be easy, but expensive. My car is in good condition but I just hate driving it sometimes. Praise God for the train, I am so happy to not have to drive.
I think I finally understand why my great grandpa James Huffman was a train conductor, this is just plain fun and exhilarating.
First Megan drove me to the Glendale Transportation Center where we waited for 10 minutes for a bus to arrive. I boarded the bus and wished my friend farewell. I sat next to some kid who hogged a quarter of my seat so he could lay down and sleep. Little sleep for me, I was too anxious.
We arrived by bus in Bakersfield at 4:10 am. I paid for my ticket and boarded the 711 train headed for Antioch, California--a convenient 10 minutes from my home. I boarded the train and sat down at a comfortable and spacious seat. I wasn’t quite sure what I was expecting but the seats and legroom were far superior to any airplane I have ever been on. The train’s conductor, a jolly black man whom I will never meet in person but his voice will always be in my memories, began speaking over the loud speaker and saying really funny things. I guess it was his last day with his coworkers or something, but the character was a riot. He yelled at a smoker outside the train, he told us to all join hands and sing kum-by-yah, among other various spurts of hot air that tickled me.
Its 5:30 am and any minute now the sun will rise over the hills and orange groves that comprise my metaphoric view of live; everything is beautiful. Its as if the sun is rising on a new age in my life, and the darkness that has been my life for a while now is leaving. I will not take this moment for granted, for I feel a new birth of what is attainable in sweet moments of laughter, peace, and joy. On an Amtrak train, go figure. This train is taking me to where I need to be most right now. 5:50 am, the suns rays are beaming through the hills just beautifully.
And here I am, riding on the midnight train, not going anywhere... going home.
