Travel is fun
Aug. 28th, 2024 09:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
unicorndukeI am back from my trip and it was a delight for almost all of it!
Thursday, I spent the day packing and doing a tiny bit of work stuff. I spent a long time debating on whether to bring my knitting or not, right up until I got to the parking lot of the train station and then pulled it out and left it in my truck.
I got on the train to NYC which was relatively quiet and I didn't have a seat mate the whole way, but it was more of an express train than the ones I usually catch. My luggage total was my backpack, a lunch bag of snacks/sandwich and my small rolling suitcase. I wish I could have carried less things but I used basically everything I brought so it was worth bringing everything.
I spindle spun and read a book on the way to NYC, didn't touch my computer at all. Jade met me at the train station and we took the bus to her place in Jersey City. She's such a fast walker that I just end up incredibly sweaty all the time, but that's how I end up every time I'm in NYC, so like, so be it. That's why I brought so many changes of clothes. We got Indian food that night and crashed.
Morning train to Raleigh left at 7:30am so we were on the bus by 6am just in case. We stopped to grab food in Manhatten at a place that's open 24/7. It didn't have a ton of choices for me and I didn't know if the granola had wheat in it or not, so I basically ate a fruit salad for breakfast except it was weird, so like, 2/10 didn't really enjoy. Train loaded up no problem, we were able to sit together since the train conductors set aside row seats for people traveling together which was nice. The train was sold out at various points, so we really did need the set aside seats.
Then we rode the train! It was 10 hours down and I was at the window seat. Jade played Stardew Valley pretty much the whole time. I really enjoy the window seat, but because Jade was busy, I didn't get up and move around as much as I should have and in retrospect, I didn't drink enough water because I didn't need to get up and use the bathroom until about 8 hours into the train ride. Hmm. That was almost certainly the cause of the headache I had by the end of the trip. There was a stop in DC where we could get off the train and walk around while they changed trains from electric to diesel which really was needed but it was also only 4 hours in.
It was really neat to look out the window at the landscape, which is why I always get window seat if I can. I read a book, worked on my computer on farm planning and transition stuff, spindle spun and listened to podcasts. Ate my sandwich for lunch that I brought and ate cookies. I did fully take my mask off for eating, there wasn't any good way to do it otherwise with the crumbly bread that I had. Amtrak food is basically not at all food I can eat, so bringing my own food was a really really good idea.
We arrived in Raleigh around 5:30pm and headed right to the hotel. It's an old round one that they're going to replace soon. It was nice enough, but the hot water in the shower took about 15 minutes to warm up, so I took a number of room temperature showers just in time to warm it up for Jade. We went out for dinner to a food market nearby which had 15 or so little food vendors inside which was a really cool idea. I got french fries with cheese and bacon more or less.
We wandered around downtown Raleigh for a little bit, looking at buildings and statues and things. We looked up the wikipedia page for one of the statue guys and he had a whole section on white supremacist activies. yikes. I had forgotten to work on my embroidery project which was the name of a game my friend made that I tablet wove last weekend plus I embroidered on the little game characters although not well. So I worked on that before bed while watching more olympics dressage.
Got up in the morning, ate meh breakfast from the hotel and then ran to a dollar general to get a gift bag for the yarn I brought for L and the band for M. Raleigh is a weird city. No one was there except for a few people walking dogs and some runners. Just no one.
We all met at Lucette Grace which was a nice, expensive little coffee shop. I got hot chocolate and a fancy mousse which were both tasty. It was really good to spend more time with L and M, when we could just chit-chat about things and not have a ton of other people around. One of L's friend's also came and he was fun to talk to as well.
They had a brunch to go to, so Jade and I wandered around the city some more and decided to hit up the North Carolina History Museum. There were some nice statues outside which was good and some nice plaques on NC plants and stuff. The museum was awesome! It had a really great section on the Indigenous people's of NC, their lives, their history. There was a lot on agriculture and industry and it was all relatively well done and not biased in a way I was vaguely afraid it would be. We spent three hours in there and got probably 2/3 of the way through and we are fast readers. We got hungry and needed to use the bathroom, so we bailed.
We went to Taverna Angora for lunch, which was a greek restaurant right next to the hotel and they had gluten free pitas for gyros and I had my first gyro in a long time and it was really really good. We sat on the upper level which was open to the air, had fans and lots of plants. It was really nice
We went back to the hotel and took a nap in the afternoon, which wasn't the best idea since we both overslept a little bit and had to shower and get ready really fast and then power walk to the City of Raleigh Museum where the wedding was going to be. For the ceremony, we were on the groom's side and walked in with the rest of the groom's party just after 6pm. Then there was an hour of Indian wedding ceremony, which since L and M were mostly seated on the floor in a little canopy area and we were a couple tables away, we mostly couldn't see at all. But that's okay. Then we got to eat dinner which was delicious Indian food. L's friend's were seated at the same table as us, so we chatted along decently. I had to tuck my napkin into my shirt which felt very silly but I didn't want to get my waistcoat dirty since it would be very hard to wash. At 8pm after everyone had eaten, then the dancing started in the outer room.
Here's my outfit, I had Jade take some photos of it since it turned out super well. I think I need to make myself a new button down shirt, this one has a great pattern but it's too long in the arms, hence rolling the sleeves and is slightly too tight. I think for future waistcoats, make them an inch shorter since I do put my hands in my pockets a lot, so it will reduce the slight wrinkling on the sides. Shorter tie. New pants at some point too. More fancy outfits!
The dancing was very fun, a mix of all the good hits plus indian dance music. People drifted out after about 45 mins when L and M went and circulated around all the people who weren't dancing. I stayed and danced because honestly, I didn't have anyone to talk to really anyway and now that I've lost all my fear of dancing in public, I'm happy to bop along. I did take my waistcoat and tie off so the waistcoat wouldn't get dirty and the tie because I made it way too long and sewed the back section to itself last minute to it wouldn't be too long but it definitely looked weird if it was bouncing around.
Around 9:30pm, the older folks started to file out and the younger folks who wandered away came back to the dance floor for the last half hour. There was some good early 2000s-2010s rock hits which were very fun but that was the point where I danced too hard and remembered I was wearing a binder. We wrapped up right around 10 and Jade and I walked back to the hotel. Turns out, all the people in Raleigh appear at 9pm because there was a ton of people out and about when we left. Someone M knew better in college walked back with us, I didn't like him that much in college, but he turned into a real interesting person so it was fun to chat.
Showered and crashed so hard. Next morning was a leisurely hotel breakfast, actually packing up all of our stuff that we had flung everywhere (mostly me) and headed to the train station. The Raleigh train station was converted from an old steel mill building and they kept all the cool architecture including the movable pulleys and they hung a giant clock from one. Cool old doors and stuff. Our train was a little late since it was coming from Charlotte and had some stops on the way, but not too late. Most of the seats were taken, so Jade and I sat apart for an hour and a half until someone got off and we took over that set of seats. Just gotta remember to move the tag that the conductor puts up.
The train back was much better or maybe more sleep and food helped. I also got up every two hours to at least walk to the next car and back which helped a ton. I got a bunch more farm planning stuff worked on, read more books, spindled and listened to podcasts. We got back to NYC after 9pm, which wasn't amazing, but we snagged seats on the bus back to Jade's place which was great. I was really tired and crashed pretty quick without eating dinner. Train snacks were almost entirely cookies, I should have picked a sandwich up somewhere but I didn't think about it. And one sad banana.
Jade and I got up early since she had work the next morning, so we grabbed the bus to manhatten. I was able to leave my luggage with her for a bit which was great because I did a lot of wandering around and not having to haul it around really really helped. I had texted my sister the day before that I'd be in Manhatten until 2ish when my train arrived and she was going to meet me when she got up (she got home after midnight). I went on a quest for breakfast, which I ended up going to Friedman's since they had gluten free stuff right on the menu and it looked delicious. The first location was closed for renovations so I wandered to the Herald Square location instead. I got the lemon ricotta pancakes and hot chocolate and it was really tasty. My only gripe was that the waiters were aggressively nice, they didn't quite hover but it was a half step away from hovering which I find unnerving.
I went and sat on the steps at Moynihan for a bit and people-watched which I do enjoy. My phone was running low on battery and I didn't have a book, so I just watched the pigeons and people. Then it very briefly rained twice, so I went and took cover under some construction stuff and played some pokemon go. Did a couple of laps around some blocks. Once it stopped raining and then got so sunny and humid, I went back to the steps until my sister arrived a little after 11.
We went to Mood Fabrics! It was also midway between Moynihan and where Jade worked, so it was great. The store itself was overwhelming. So much fabric! So many options! We didn't even go down the first floor where the cottons were. In the end, I bought a really nice fleece fabric, which I'm going to make an oversize hoodie out of since that's the kind of thing you want to feel. It might be really fun to go back with more projects in mind.
We wandered back and grabbed my luggage, I said goodbye to Jade and then Z and I wandered over to Bryant Park and got ice cream and chatted about stuff which sitting down. My feet hurt pretty good by this point, so the more sitting the better. Then we headed back to Moynihan and said goodbye, it was nice to see Z for a couple of hours.
Then my train, which I scheduled to get me home in time for crafting with an hour of wiggle room was delayed. In the end, I think it was delayed because of a traffic jam in the rail yard which is a hilarious idea to me. And we loaded on 45 minutes late. And because it was late, it backed up behind other trains. The trip felt like it went very fast though, which I appreciated and I got a window seat. Read a book and spindled a little. Got back, drove home and walked in the door right at 6pm for crafting.
I really had a fun time with all the travel and the trains were a lot of fun to take, way better than driving and flying and cheaper than flying. One way tickets from NYC to Raleigh were $75. Now I want to take trains all over the place.
I really was glad to spend time with Jade again too, I missed her a lot. I miss living with her a lot too, it really was good. But her goals are way different than mine, so it made sense to split up. It was almost like no time had passed at all when it's been over two years since we last met up. Although we do watch baking shows together some weekends online. It was so good to see Z and catch her up on the parents nonsense and how that's all going. I ate so much delicious food. 10/10 would trip again
Thursday, I spent the day packing and doing a tiny bit of work stuff. I spent a long time debating on whether to bring my knitting or not, right up until I got to the parking lot of the train station and then pulled it out and left it in my truck.
I got on the train to NYC which was relatively quiet and I didn't have a seat mate the whole way, but it was more of an express train than the ones I usually catch. My luggage total was my backpack, a lunch bag of snacks/sandwich and my small rolling suitcase. I wish I could have carried less things but I used basically everything I brought so it was worth bringing everything.
I spindle spun and read a book on the way to NYC, didn't touch my computer at all. Jade met me at the train station and we took the bus to her place in Jersey City. She's such a fast walker that I just end up incredibly sweaty all the time, but that's how I end up every time I'm in NYC, so like, so be it. That's why I brought so many changes of clothes. We got Indian food that night and crashed.
Morning train to Raleigh left at 7:30am so we were on the bus by 6am just in case. We stopped to grab food in Manhatten at a place that's open 24/7. It didn't have a ton of choices for me and I didn't know if the granola had wheat in it or not, so I basically ate a fruit salad for breakfast except it was weird, so like, 2/10 didn't really enjoy. Train loaded up no problem, we were able to sit together since the train conductors set aside row seats for people traveling together which was nice. The train was sold out at various points, so we really did need the set aside seats.
Then we rode the train! It was 10 hours down and I was at the window seat. Jade played Stardew Valley pretty much the whole time. I really enjoy the window seat, but because Jade was busy, I didn't get up and move around as much as I should have and in retrospect, I didn't drink enough water because I didn't need to get up and use the bathroom until about 8 hours into the train ride. Hmm. That was almost certainly the cause of the headache I had by the end of the trip. There was a stop in DC where we could get off the train and walk around while they changed trains from electric to diesel which really was needed but it was also only 4 hours in.
It was really neat to look out the window at the landscape, which is why I always get window seat if I can. I read a book, worked on my computer on farm planning and transition stuff, spindle spun and listened to podcasts. Ate my sandwich for lunch that I brought and ate cookies. I did fully take my mask off for eating, there wasn't any good way to do it otherwise with the crumbly bread that I had. Amtrak food is basically not at all food I can eat, so bringing my own food was a really really good idea.
We arrived in Raleigh around 5:30pm and headed right to the hotel. It's an old round one that they're going to replace soon. It was nice enough, but the hot water in the shower took about 15 minutes to warm up, so I took a number of room temperature showers just in time to warm it up for Jade. We went out for dinner to a food market nearby which had 15 or so little food vendors inside which was a really cool idea. I got french fries with cheese and bacon more or less.
We wandered around downtown Raleigh for a little bit, looking at buildings and statues and things. We looked up the wikipedia page for one of the statue guys and he had a whole section on white supremacist activies. yikes. I had forgotten to work on my embroidery project which was the name of a game my friend made that I tablet wove last weekend plus I embroidered on the little game characters although not well. So I worked on that before bed while watching more olympics dressage.
Got up in the morning, ate meh breakfast from the hotel and then ran to a dollar general to get a gift bag for the yarn I brought for L and the band for M. Raleigh is a weird city. No one was there except for a few people walking dogs and some runners. Just no one.
We all met at Lucette Grace which was a nice, expensive little coffee shop. I got hot chocolate and a fancy mousse which were both tasty. It was really good to spend more time with L and M, when we could just chit-chat about things and not have a ton of other people around. One of L's friend's also came and he was fun to talk to as well.
They had a brunch to go to, so Jade and I wandered around the city some more and decided to hit up the North Carolina History Museum. There were some nice statues outside which was good and some nice plaques on NC plants and stuff. The museum was awesome! It had a really great section on the Indigenous people's of NC, their lives, their history. There was a lot on agriculture and industry and it was all relatively well done and not biased in a way I was vaguely afraid it would be. We spent three hours in there and got probably 2/3 of the way through and we are fast readers. We got hungry and needed to use the bathroom, so we bailed.
We went to Taverna Angora for lunch, which was a greek restaurant right next to the hotel and they had gluten free pitas for gyros and I had my first gyro in a long time and it was really really good. We sat on the upper level which was open to the air, had fans and lots of plants. It was really nice
We went back to the hotel and took a nap in the afternoon, which wasn't the best idea since we both overslept a little bit and had to shower and get ready really fast and then power walk to the City of Raleigh Museum where the wedding was going to be. For the ceremony, we were on the groom's side and walked in with the rest of the groom's party just after 6pm. Then there was an hour of Indian wedding ceremony, which since L and M were mostly seated on the floor in a little canopy area and we were a couple tables away, we mostly couldn't see at all. But that's okay. Then we got to eat dinner which was delicious Indian food. L's friend's were seated at the same table as us, so we chatted along decently. I had to tuck my napkin into my shirt which felt very silly but I didn't want to get my waistcoat dirty since it would be very hard to wash. At 8pm after everyone had eaten, then the dancing started in the outer room.
Here's my outfit, I had Jade take some photos of it since it turned out super well. I think I need to make myself a new button down shirt, this one has a great pattern but it's too long in the arms, hence rolling the sleeves and is slightly too tight. I think for future waistcoats, make them an inch shorter since I do put my hands in my pockets a lot, so it will reduce the slight wrinkling on the sides. Shorter tie. New pants at some point too. More fancy outfits!
The dancing was very fun, a mix of all the good hits plus indian dance music. People drifted out after about 45 mins when L and M went and circulated around all the people who weren't dancing. I stayed and danced because honestly, I didn't have anyone to talk to really anyway and now that I've lost all my fear of dancing in public, I'm happy to bop along. I did take my waistcoat and tie off so the waistcoat wouldn't get dirty and the tie because I made it way too long and sewed the back section to itself last minute to it wouldn't be too long but it definitely looked weird if it was bouncing around.
Around 9:30pm, the older folks started to file out and the younger folks who wandered away came back to the dance floor for the last half hour. There was some good early 2000s-2010s rock hits which were very fun but that was the point where I danced too hard and remembered I was wearing a binder. We wrapped up right around 10 and Jade and I walked back to the hotel. Turns out, all the people in Raleigh appear at 9pm because there was a ton of people out and about when we left. Someone M knew better in college walked back with us, I didn't like him that much in college, but he turned into a real interesting person so it was fun to chat.
Showered and crashed so hard. Next morning was a leisurely hotel breakfast, actually packing up all of our stuff that we had flung everywhere (mostly me) and headed to the train station. The Raleigh train station was converted from an old steel mill building and they kept all the cool architecture including the movable pulleys and they hung a giant clock from one. Cool old doors and stuff. Our train was a little late since it was coming from Charlotte and had some stops on the way, but not too late. Most of the seats were taken, so Jade and I sat apart for an hour and a half until someone got off and we took over that set of seats. Just gotta remember to move the tag that the conductor puts up.
The train back was much better or maybe more sleep and food helped. I also got up every two hours to at least walk to the next car and back which helped a ton. I got a bunch more farm planning stuff worked on, read more books, spindled and listened to podcasts. We got back to NYC after 9pm, which wasn't amazing, but we snagged seats on the bus back to Jade's place which was great. I was really tired and crashed pretty quick without eating dinner. Train snacks were almost entirely cookies, I should have picked a sandwich up somewhere but I didn't think about it. And one sad banana.
Jade and I got up early since she had work the next morning, so we grabbed the bus to manhatten. I was able to leave my luggage with her for a bit which was great because I did a lot of wandering around and not having to haul it around really really helped. I had texted my sister the day before that I'd be in Manhatten until 2ish when my train arrived and she was going to meet me when she got up (she got home after midnight). I went on a quest for breakfast, which I ended up going to Friedman's since they had gluten free stuff right on the menu and it looked delicious. The first location was closed for renovations so I wandered to the Herald Square location instead. I got the lemon ricotta pancakes and hot chocolate and it was really tasty. My only gripe was that the waiters were aggressively nice, they didn't quite hover but it was a half step away from hovering which I find unnerving.
I went and sat on the steps at Moynihan for a bit and people-watched which I do enjoy. My phone was running low on battery and I didn't have a book, so I just watched the pigeons and people. Then it very briefly rained twice, so I went and took cover under some construction stuff and played some pokemon go. Did a couple of laps around some blocks. Once it stopped raining and then got so sunny and humid, I went back to the steps until my sister arrived a little after 11.
We went to Mood Fabrics! It was also midway between Moynihan and where Jade worked, so it was great. The store itself was overwhelming. So much fabric! So many options! We didn't even go down the first floor where the cottons were. In the end, I bought a really nice fleece fabric, which I'm going to make an oversize hoodie out of since that's the kind of thing you want to feel. It might be really fun to go back with more projects in mind.
We wandered back and grabbed my luggage, I said goodbye to Jade and then Z and I wandered over to Bryant Park and got ice cream and chatted about stuff which sitting down. My feet hurt pretty good by this point, so the more sitting the better. Then we headed back to Moynihan and said goodbye, it was nice to see Z for a couple of hours.
Then my train, which I scheduled to get me home in time for crafting with an hour of wiggle room was delayed. In the end, I think it was delayed because of a traffic jam in the rail yard which is a hilarious idea to me. And we loaded on 45 minutes late. And because it was late, it backed up behind other trains. The trip felt like it went very fast though, which I appreciated and I got a window seat. Read a book and spindled a little. Got back, drove home and walked in the door right at 6pm for crafting.
I really had a fun time with all the travel and the trains were a lot of fun to take, way better than driving and flying and cheaper than flying. One way tickets from NYC to Raleigh were $75. Now I want to take trains all over the place.
I really was glad to spend time with Jade again too, I missed her a lot. I miss living with her a lot too, it really was good. But her goals are way different than mine, so it made sense to split up. It was almost like no time had passed at all when it's been over two years since we last met up. Although we do watch baking shows together some weekends online. It was so good to see Z and catch her up on the parents nonsense and how that's all going. I ate so much delicious food. 10/10 would trip again
no subject
Date: 2024-08-28 05:29 pm (UTC)I'm interested in your hoodie project. I have an old, falling apart hoodie with a really good zip up the front and I cannot find a replacement. It is heavy, heavy fleece with a high cotton content. Almost like a really heavy towel pile, but softer. Really warm. I've sewn patches over the holes in it and the patches are now falling off....
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Date: 2024-08-30 08:51 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2024-08-30 09:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-08-30 01:18 am (UTC)That's a splendid waistcoat.
(Also yay! trains. :)
no subject
Date: 2024-08-30 08:53 pm (UTC)