Single What? Female...

Single What? Female does America in 30 days...

It is amazing that this journey has begun. The first couple of days were a little rough as you will see in the following entries and this is my first day with internet since I left (YEE HA!), but overall, all is good and people have already been talking. Hopefully that shall continue as I make my way to the smaller towns. Below is what happened over the last couple of days and I assure you there will be more later...:) Peace --Alex

4/7/08
And so the journey has begun. The man saw me off at the Penn Station and I was on a train for what seemed like far too many hours, yet thanks to sleeping, texting and pleasant company, it felt shorter than some of the bus rides I've taken between NYC and Boston. I figured I'd keep Canada out of the show, but as I chatted with my seatmate, we eventually got to the topic of my journey and this is what she had to say:
"Well, you know in Toronto, it's multiculturalism and in the US it's "the melting pot" and I always liked that term. This nice mingling and mixing. But then I came to New York and I just felt like...well, it just seems so segregated, no? No, not segregated, that's the wrong word, but it seems like people...these people live here and...well, in Toronto, people just seem to mingle more..." I have felt since I moved to New York that the city has got to be the most mingled place in the world. But then there is the fact that there are indeed specific neighborhoods and people have been moving into these familiar places following or joining family and friends since before Ellis Island. But then, there is the subway...where everybody - class, race, ethnicity, etc - mingles like no other place I have seen.

Last night I somehow fit approximately a month's worth of stuff into two bags. It was not easy and did include a minor breakdown, but it all got done and here I am in Niagara Falls.
Why Niagara Falls? If you had not read previously, part of my cross country journey must be through Canada, so here I am just over the line. I haven't been to the Falls since I was about ten years old. I remember seeing the falls, hearing the rush of the water as it went over the edge, the sudden chill brought on by that rush of water and the positively abnormal amount of wax museums. Tonight, sadly, it was the same thing. The wonder of nature, the roar of the water and the abnormal amount of wax museums, fun houses, tacky shops and even a Hard Rock Niagara Falls (no I did not visit it...though I admit to being tempted). Otherwise, Niagara Falls, to me, had to be one the most depressing places I have ever seen. Beyond the Falls and the surrounding shops and hotels, it is a worn down town. You can practically hear the collective sigh of sagging buildings and peeling paint. It is a sad place and I admittedly will be glad to move on.

Tomorrow, I spend a few hours in Buffalo and then hit my first real stop: Chicago!

By the way, tonight, I type from the fab Hi Niagara Hostel. I am watching an episode of New Amsterdam. It's not that great a show but has a cute Danish actor in the lead and tonight's episode takes place at one of my favorite places in the world: Coney Island. Yes, Coney is kind of run down, too, but doesn't seem quite as sad as Niagara here.

In the meantime, be well and soon there will be more from the road.

4/8/08
It's Tuesday therefore it must be Buffalo...

As I type, I am not there yet. I am sitting at Niagara Falls on the US side where we are sitting for approximately another hour until we leave for Buffalo. There is hardly anyone on this train (I share my present car with three other people- two others were taken off the train for not having the right tickets or something), and yet...we wait.
The ticket guy just came over and told me that we would be departing in 55 minutes...I supposedly have an internet connection, but no signal...I may take this puppy outside and see what happens... IN THE MEANTIME...
As I seem to be able to make a Boston connection nearly anywhere...I went to breakfast this morning to Dad's Diner, a homey place around the corner from the hostel where the transit guys and police hang out and where one can get an English muffin with sausage egg and cheese homemade and a large chocolate milk for under $5. I also happened to notice amidst their slightly kitschy wall decor, a Boston Bruins flag...and then a team photo...and then a line of team photos and logos. I asked the manager who the Boston Bruins fan was and was told that the owner was a fan. One of the transit workers, an older gentleman who made me think of those guys you know have been doing that job for 20 years, told me how the farm team for the Bruins used to be in Niagara Falls and how a lot of locals had played for the team. Being an overall Boston sports fan, I had to admit to the guys that sadly, I did not know enough about hockey: that my sports loyalties started with baseball and hockey was at the bottom. "The little fish" the transit guy said and laughed. New York is where I live and love, but, you know, I love that dirty water and Boston always really will be my home :p.
Buffalo today is going to be a challenge as the train to Chicago leaves from Buffalo-Depew. Buffalo Depew is the airport...hopefully a shuttle will be avaiable to get me in and out of Buffalo central as I would prefer not to kill ten hours at the airport if I do not have to. Call me crazy...


4/9/08
New rule...when killing time in Buffalo, know the pubic transportation schedule better, but also remember that not all cities stay open past 6pm. I learned that the hard way yesterday as Buffalo - or at least the downtown area I was in, happens to roll the streets up by about 6pm or earlier (a gentleman with whom I spoke at the train station who has lived in Buffalo for over 20 years confirmed this for me). Though I have to say Elmwood Avenue seems to be a happening drag and should I ever get back to Buffalo, I hope to pay it more of a visit than being driven by it.

In the meantime, I have survived a night on the train sans sleeper car and am waiting ever so patiently to get into Chicago to really start this thing. AND to have internet. You do not realize how much you miss it, until you don't have it for a couple of days. (Not a hot spot to be found in the part of Buffalo I was in yesterday! there wasn't even a Starbucks. I was actually ready to shout out for the first time ever "My Kingdom for a Starbucks!") But I'll tell you, time off the computer means time to talk to people and I have to thank David Bennet - a staunch liberal former Kansan, Chantelle - the native Californian who I hope gets a luxurious spa day when she gets back there after traveling to North Bay, Canada to see her boyfriend; and still has three days to go before getting home; and she's traveling with her very active 7 year old son, and Kyle - a musical theatre major who was waiting to pick up friends last night and with whom I was drop kicked into small world land as he went to high school and remains close friends with a former co-worker of mine. They all entertained me while waiting for the train.

...we are so close to Chicago...Close enough to nearly have had internet...can't wait!

and now I do! here we are..blogging away. The lovely Sommer Austin is my hostess and has made her neighborhood and apartment open to me...as well as her Mac, WiFi, tea, etc. She is also going to be interviewed this afternoon for the show woo hoo! In the meantime, I hope all is well with you all and in the words of Bartles and James, thank you for your support.

posted by funkweee @ 11:13 AM