flâneur

Finding peace on a 72-hour train across America

nationalgeographic.com · 1,845 words · saved by 1 readers

A writer rides the rails from New York to San Francisco, discovering dazzling landscapes and fascinating fellow passengers along the way.

Finding peace on a 72-hour train across America | National Geographic By Jordan Salama Published July 5, 2022 • 12 min read In Iowa, I had dinner with an elderly woman who introduced herself only as “Mrs. Alvarez.” The train was rocking from side-to-side as it shot forward in the darkness, and she almost lost her balance when she sat down across from me at our booth. Mrs. Alvarez was short and stout, with curly gray hair cut in a bob. She wore a dark dress with large, round buttons. “Would I offend you if I said grace?” Mrs. Alvarez asked me. “I believe in God, but I wouldn’t want to impose Hi

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