This is lovely and makes me proud of my city - my adopted city. I’m also an immigrant from the US. My husband once said to me: “You’ve always been a kiwi; it just took a while for you to come home.” I hope you feel as smitten with Aotearoa as I am. :)
Thanks, Mary! I am indeed smitten, maybe no more so than on that train. Welly is getting dragged around a bunch lately but man, whenever I wander around the hills there I just can't stop taking pics, in any weather. And I love the notion of a secret born-somewhere-else soul, weird as it is to work through in my head? Back home I know folks who say 'I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as quick as could.' :)
I always know when the Masterton train is approaching by the thunderous sound and rattle in your bones only a diesel powered locomotive can make. I normally grab the Hutt Valley Line at Epuni, sometimes Waterloo, and I admire the comfort on display as the big train passes: the curtains, the drop-down work tables, and seemingly plusher seats than we get on the shorter-haul electric choo-choos. And I heard once they sell beer, wine, coffee etc onboard. Not quite the Orient Express or Trans-Siberian but for our little burg its pretty cool IMO.
I am one of the many who make no attempt to engage my fellow commuters, happily lost in the sports talk, CNN, various podcasts available - or reading my Kindle. As I get older the lure of escaping the daily grind in the stories Michael Connelly, Lee Child or a good autobiography about musicians, war heroes and historical figures is strong. What am I hiding from? I like people, generally, and enjoy conversation. Might be time to start talking to the people I ride with, now and then.
Yeah man, love our big ol' train! Feels like wearing a nice new Carhartt to the fancy office. Cushy seats, too. No concessions these days, but I just noticed Trax sells drip coffee in the mornings??? Nah man I think the commute silence is nice. A main life goal of mine: more time spent staring out windows and dreaming...
This is truly wonderful, Dan! Just perfect, and your observations so close and full of warmth. PS You were in Wellington and we didn’t have coffee??? 😆
Thanks, Leah! I will be over again soon enough, coffee for sure. Getting to be proper Greytown silly season here. If y'all ever over the hill do give a holler!
Congrats man!! You doin five days to start? I know it’s a lot, I got friends who do and they don’t get as romantic as I do about the train. But man I love it. I Happy riding!
This is lovely and makes me proud of my city - my adopted city. I’m also an immigrant from the US. My husband once said to me: “You’ve always been a kiwi; it just took a while for you to come home.” I hope you feel as smitten with Aotearoa as I am. :)
Thanks, Mary! I am indeed smitten, maybe no more so than on that train. Welly is getting dragged around a bunch lately but man, whenever I wander around the hills there I just can't stop taking pics, in any weather. And I love the notion of a secret born-somewhere-else soul, weird as it is to work through in my head? Back home I know folks who say 'I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as quick as could.' :)
Lovely but… our country, our beautiful country, your adopted country which welcomed you, is New Zealand 🇳🇿 : not Aotearoa.
Thankyou & have a great day 😊
Crikey
I always know when the Masterton train is approaching by the thunderous sound and rattle in your bones only a diesel powered locomotive can make. I normally grab the Hutt Valley Line at Epuni, sometimes Waterloo, and I admire the comfort on display as the big train passes: the curtains, the drop-down work tables, and seemingly plusher seats than we get on the shorter-haul electric choo-choos. And I heard once they sell beer, wine, coffee etc onboard. Not quite the Orient Express or Trans-Siberian but for our little burg its pretty cool IMO.
I am one of the many who make no attempt to engage my fellow commuters, happily lost in the sports talk, CNN, various podcasts available - or reading my Kindle. As I get older the lure of escaping the daily grind in the stories Michael Connelly, Lee Child or a good autobiography about musicians, war heroes and historical figures is strong. What am I hiding from? I like people, generally, and enjoy conversation. Might be time to start talking to the people I ride with, now and then.
Yeah man, love our big ol' train! Feels like wearing a nice new Carhartt to the fancy office. Cushy seats, too. No concessions these days, but I just noticed Trax sells drip coffee in the mornings??? Nah man I think the commute silence is nice. A main life goal of mine: more time spent staring out windows and dreaming...
This is truly wonderful, Dan! Just perfect, and your observations so close and full of warmth. PS You were in Wellington and we didn’t have coffee??? 😆
Thanks, Leah! I will be over again soon enough, coffee for sure. Getting to be proper Greytown silly season here. If y'all ever over the hill do give a holler!
I had to pull out a map for this one! Lovely descriptions and imagery.
Thanks, Rachel! I've been loving your walk photos. Want to do more like that: here's the world, ain't it pretty just as it is?
What a stunning description, it felt like I was sitting in the window seat of the train too!!
Thanks, Kate! Glad you enjoyed it!
Just on that Petone to Welly bit now- can't beat Welly on a good day 😊 (or any day for that matter)!
So cool! And on a clear day, too...like nothing else!
Making me look forward to my commute!
Congrats man!! You doin five days to start? I know it’s a lot, I got friends who do and they don’t get as romantic as I do about the train. But man I love it. I Happy riding!
Glad you made this trek!