6:25pm… And we’re off to Wichita! What’s cooler than Amtrak?

7:25pm… We’re stopped in Fort Madison, Iowa. I’ve just finished a delicious veggie and hummus sandwich called the Healthy, and washed it down with some sweet green tea and spinach bisque. I made the right choice in grabbing dinner at a spot a few blocks from the train station. The observation car is nice, with a lot of people quietly reading, but it’s drafty. So I’m back at my seat, which is bordering on too warm. Bonus: small pillow left for me by steward.

7:55pm… Silence interrupted. Apparently a family is sitting in front of me. There’s potty talk. And the father is one of those dads that makes a lot of noise when sitting down in his seat. It sounds like a yawn, but with a lot of volume. He talks the same way. Slight bonus: watching people try to walk the length of the train while it wiggles through Missouri. Drunken sailors!

8:04pm… An attractive, young female conductor surprises me. Very, very business-like in that cap and suit. I hope I’m in trouble?

10:39pm… All’s quiet for the past few hours aboard our car. Snickers bar. A very cute girl sits behind me, curled up and smiling at me. Or is she squinting?

3:30am… Is there a term for someone who can’t sleep well in a plane or train?

4-something am… In my old bed, I fall asleep.