An Ode to Transit (and other vignettes about going places) By Susan McLean

I’ve always found something sweetly nostalgic about trains and watching everything blur by. I’m typing from an Amtrack train from Bridgeport to Philadelphia to meet a friend for a quick weekend trip. People shuffling in and out, each with their own destination, their own life experiences, all coming together and then drifting apart again. Maybe I’m romanticizing a bunch of people cramming into a shiny metal tube that shoots from station to station, but I don’t care. Modes of transportation have always fascinated me. My first airplane ride was glorious. Wobble, wobble, jerk, jerk, and I was flying. Some people get anxious during takeoff and landing. Those are my favorites. Subways and metros are nearly as much fun. Maybe I can’t stay still. Maybe I’m like a shark that has to keep swimming or it dies. Maybe I’m just dramatic.