Hi Alcinda

I think more and more people are doing the same thing. MD and I are making an 8 hour drive today instead of flying for the same reason. By the time we get to the airport, wait around, fly to the first connection, wait around, fly to the final destination, wait for bags, get a rental car, drive to our house, we would have spent at least 61/2 hours (and that’s if the flights all left on time). So why not drive and go when we want to. Anymore the only fast part about flying is the actual flying; the rest of the process is agonizingly slow.

MRE

For the last 18 months, I’ve had to make a 3-6 day trip from central NY to Manhattan once a month. It’s the ‘Eastern Regional’ route system, which has been undergoing extensive track repair. This meant that tickets were at giveaway prices, sometimes as low as $28 one way. I could have flown, but Amtrak was less than half the cost of flying, has a better rewards program, and at least the food is edible.

Unfortunately, this season’s ‘track work’ has meant 2-4 hour delays in departures and arrivals. On the bright side, I travel light and never need to check a bag, am only five feet tall (so those ‘knees under chin’ seat situations don’t compromise my circulation), and I can usually work or sleep in any situation.

Gas is too expensive to drive 600 miles round trip every four weeks (not to mention parking the car on the upper east side of Manhattan for 3-6 days). The airlines are getting more and more unpredictable (especially out of small-metro-area hubs. So while Amtrak isn’t always the fastest way there and back, it’s nearly always the least stressful…and after 18 monhts, I’m only one train ride away from a free ticket cross-country. That reward ticket ought to work out great…unless of course Amtrak goes bankrupt before I can cash it in.

Travel safely…and travel light.

Oh…I ordered your book off Amazon recently. I’m looking forward to finding out more about Protein Power.

Hi Victoria–

Thanks for your concern. We got home without a hitch. I hope your travels go smoothly.

And I hope you enjoy the book.

MRE