Having stopped over in Philadelphia, I boarded a different Amtrak train, the Silver Meteor, which took me South down the coast towards Florida.

Night set in and obscurred the passing scenery. Being my first Amtrak adventure, I was new to falling asleep on a moving train. All I had was a reclining seat and a small pillow. It was a chore to get comfortable and ultimately snooze. This would be a situation I would eventually master with future Amtrak trips.

After several hours, the morning sun rose and glared in through the window. I awakened to find myself in a whole new environment, one that was green, tropical and lush. I longed to reach my destination and go outside where it was warm.