California Zephyr Trip

In the spring of 2018, I took a train from Emeryville, California to Chicago, Illinois. The total trip time is about 52 hours (When I rode it, it was 58 hours due to some unforseen events).

The first time I knew about California Zephyr is from this blog post. The blog post has documented many things about the train itself, so I won’t get into that as well. Instead, I will try to document the trip from my perspective.

Why?

A lot of people asked me: “Why did you decide to ride the train? It takes longer and costs more” Honestly, I don’t know. Maybe the charm of old-time traveling method appealed to me. At the same time, knowing that this was how people used to travel back in day reminded me how much progressed we have made.

Another reason is because I wanted some uninterrupted time to myself to read books and just think. As mentioned in Deep Work by Cal Newport, some people like Peter Shankman, founder of reporter database HARO, flew a round trip flight from LA to Tokyo to complete a manuscript for a book deal. Did I miraculously write a 500 pages book? Nope! But it was a refreshing time to slow down and do one thing at a time. For most of my time there, I locked myself in my sleeper cabin. Due to lack of internet connectivity(how ironic), I was able to read books and finish some research work.

Things that I did

For most of my time there, I locked myself in my sleeper cabin. Due to lack of internet connectivity(how ironic), I was able to read books and finish some research work.

I also went to the sightseeing lounge to enjoy the ever changing sceneries while traveling across the states.

The people I met

Every time you go to the dinning car, you will place in an table with people you never met before (Unless you are traveling in a group of 4). I am not particularly an extroverted person, most of the time I will prefer awkward silence than small talks.

However, I decided to be more approachable and take the initiative to start conversations. As a result, I have enjoyed conversations with people ranging from an Australian retiree who were traveling across the world (New Zealand to New York) to a freshman at University of Illinois (where I went form undergrad) while eating surprisingly delicious Amtrak Steak.

Would I recommend this trip?

Yes and no.

Yes, if you want some me time, that would allow you to do some work, enjoy beautiful sceneries and meet new people.

No, you might be able to reproduce the experiences by going to a local coffee shop and strike up conversations with strangers.