One if by land, two if by land

This is a follow-up post to the one I did just a bit ago. The more I think about it, the more I know in the deepest part of me that I will be driving to Chicago tomorrow. Yes, that makes me nervous. However, the trick is to let go of the fear RIGHT HERE and RIGHT NOW. This has the potential to be an incredibly great adventure - and I just can't say "Oh, I'll just stay home." I don't like that option in any way or form, so I'm discarding it immediately.

It's frustrating, because I've never really had this kind of trouble with Amtrak. I know that there are horror stories galore about how awful it is and how it always runs behind and it's never on time and yeah, there is certainly an element of truth to that. It's frustrating because I was being all responsible and not driving and, damn it, they let me down. This is the exact reason why people don't take Amtrak. And while I understand that they do everything they can to provide service, it's sad because really, the government tries to cut their funding every time you turn around. As they said in that movie The End Of Suburbia, we have a rail system that Bulgaria would be ashamed of.

So I'm going to go to bed now, and get excited about how I'm going to be able to spend all that time by myself. Granted, it won't be alone on a train reading my book, but it'll still be Dan time. It'll be fun and Doug doesn't live that far away from Uncommon Ground so it'll be really easy. And besides which, I'm not high maintenance (really!) and all I really need is a place to put my weary head. There are some things I haven't figured out yet, but I'll cross those bridges when I get to them.

It's going to be great. And I'll leave you tonight with a quote from Frank Herbert.

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind killer.
Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.