à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Amtrak
Amtrak Residency: The Perils Within the Fine Print
Recently, my younger brother clued me into the Amtrak Residency for writers, a program that has been celebrated in social media. Successful applicants will ride the rails for free, in a room of one’s own (bed, desk, and window), on a route of Amtrak’s choosing. Having traveled in a roomette from Boston to Denver in … Continue reading
The Price of Finishing
“Where are you heading?” asked the man seated next to me in the scenic car as Amtrak‘s California Zephyr rumbled across Illinois. I was multitasking — peering out the window while reviewing photos on my laptop — and glanced over. With his worn sweater, baggy pants and bug-shaped eyeglasses that harkened from the 1980s, he … Continue reading
Amtrak: An American Camino?
I recently traveled in an Amtrak “roomette” from Boston to Denver. It’s not a choice I would have considered but, my younger brother’s wife, sensing that a slower trip West would be less jarring than a faster one, suggested it. Since I was still reeling from the shock of re-entering the United States after walking … Continue reading
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