Pastry Princess

Throughout the day, I was able to run from car to car making sure that everyone had what they needed. When we were finished we would all go into a car and just sit, talk, watch out the windows, wander the cars aimlessly, stand on the platform between cars....etc.

Our Goal of the whole trip was to get to Hinton, WV. A very small, but beautiful town. A train town. As we pulled into the "station" (an old train station building with empty rooms), we had to hike up a steep hill to a Train Festival in the middle of this town. Let me put it this way, we were on one road and could walk the entire length of the town. Adorable though. Beautiful buildings, lots of really nice people. THE BEST PULLED PORK EVER! I was able to buy a few souvenirs (had no where to store it on the train), eat some great pastries, and just enjoy the weather with friends and fellow students.

We were given a specific time to be back on the train, so I made my way back down the steep hill. Got aboard the train and continued preparing for dinner. We sent out the food for the cars that were serving dinner in their individual car and also prepared the food for the diner. Yes, there was a diner on the train. Right next to the kitchen, the isles were only large enough for one person to walk through but the waitstaff had figured out how to carry and serve food on trays without dumping them into the unsuspecting passengers lap. And how they didn't spill or dump food on themselves I'll never know. Although, its a pretty smooth ride considering its a train, moving at times upwards of 80 miles an hour! It definitely felt faster than that though. When dinner service was over, we cleaned up and managed to get the kitchen looking clean again, we were allowed to relax. I would frequently hide between the cars on the platforms. It was so peaceful there. The sound of the train on the track is loud, so it was a constant hum. But to look out those doors and see total darkness except for the lights from the towns we would pass or the passing train that would be only about 2 feet, even less at times, away from us. The cool air on my face...it was so incredible. Once we reached home, we would unload trash, say goodbye, go home, go to sleep, and get up to do it again the next morning.

I felt as if I was still moving for the first hour I was at home, but I would do it a hundred times over!