All aboard the penguin train

Kaitlin Perry / The USD Vista

Every time I have to travel home for a holiday or long weekend, my parents force me to take the train. Trains scared me more than they should scare anybody. The idea of it tipping over or exploding never escaped my mind, and my inability to sleep when surrounded by strangers didn’t help either.

I don’t remember when, but at some point during my travels my fear of trains disappeared. I started making playlists especially for the trip, with songs related to the season, time of day and my need of distraction, which helped me fight the fear and concentrate on something besides dying.

But there are definitely times at which music is not a good distraction and I’d rather take a moment to myself and appreciate the quiet. That’s when bringing magazines and books (never homework) that I can read without losing interest comes in handy.

I’ve also learned which side of the train (the left side) provides the view of the ocean because, at sunset, the view is breathtaking and calming.

The only thing left to figure out was sleep. The train ride to my hometown of Ventura, a beach town in the middle of Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, takes about five hours. That is an extremely long time to be sitting in one place, terrified of crashing or being kidnapped by one of the creepers sitting by me. The only way to get over that fear was to get on the train half asleep. Ever since I tried that, I’ve been sleeping for at least half the ride.

This Thanksgiving I will once again be taking the train back to San Diego from Ventura. The train back is always the hardest because no one is sadder to see you go than your parents. That’s when I make a cheerful playlist on my iPod and pick the earliest train available. The earlier the train, the sleepier I’ll be.

Here are some good distractions for train rides: penguins, music without lyrics (try Ratatat, Justice, or the “Jesse James” soundtrack by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis) and “Travels With Charly” by John Steinbeck.