Day 9

I'm sitting on the mezzanine of South Station, watching as Boston is inundated with rain and parking tickets. I think the rain has me feeling blue. Not homesick blue, but that empty melancholy that continues to haunt me here and there - when the world is gray, as it is today. Or maybe I'm just depressed about my impending 8 hours on Amtrak….

There seems to be more sad and/or lonely people in train stations than at airports. I'm enjoying traveling by train, though. I can walk about as I please, the seats are roomier, the air isn't as dry and stale, I feel less time pressure, and I actually SEE the places I'm travelling through. Many of the trains even have free wireless, although I don't believe this one does. I will do this more often.

It has continued to rain all day, without a break.

As much as I am feeling a bit down today, I realize there are wonderful people in the world: Joel the nice guy with Delta; Adam & Abdallah at JFK; Kyle at Enterprise in Westbrook, ME; the nice tollbooth lady; the Dunkin Donuts lady; Paula, Mike & Colin who took in a stranger for two nights; Shahin, Santi, Johnny, Freddy & Mark in Boston, sharing their already cramped quarters with me; The distant family meeting me tonight at Union Station in DC; and countless gas station attendants, grocery store clerks, and locals willing to advise. Why should I feel sad when there is so much kindness in the world…?

Why should I feel sad…?

Providence, RI: all spires and steeples stabbing at the sky through the trees.

Old Saybrook, CT: saw a duck flying along with the train. It made me stop. I don't believe I have ever, nor possibly had the opportunity to, watched a duck fly like that. It was quite beautiful.

Everything is all trees and grass and gray skies over the ocean.

Old, brick factories with broken windows.

Hey, Norwalk, CT has Mexicans!

Newark is not pretty. But that's a given, right…? The sky looks nasty and pale yellow.

It gets better close to Princeton, but nothing spectacular. Trees, blue skies & fluffy clouds. Standard idyllic fare.

Philly isn't quite what I expected it to be. Not better or worse, just different.

Faint double-rainbow in a gray sky in Delaware.

Maryland so far looks like a watered down New England.

Family picked me up, had dinner and now ready for bed. Very nice pad that I'm staying in. Charlie & his wife are letting me have the whole basement. I have my own little apartment complete with living room, bedroom and bathroom.

I've finished Fahrenheit 451. I'm trying to save The Little Prince for Tuesday's plane ride.

It was a pleasure to burn….