Reed's Hill

Turning 40 in November, but I'm anything but "over the hill". I am, however, on an awesome journey. Follow along for my introspective thoughts and adventurous travelogue. (Header photo via Bill Dickinson at https://flic.kr/p/is2p11)

[reedshill]

Making new friends on the train

(photo by me, Nov 9, 2018. A view of the tower at Union Station in Portland, with a light up sign reading "Go by train" above a clock, and a brigde in the foreground.)

I had a few hours between check-out at the hotel and the train departure, so I spent the time having coffee and playing pinball at Ground Kontrol. If you like video games and old school arcades, I highly recommend visiting Ground Kontrol! I played some older pinball machines plus a few newer ones like Guardians of the Galaxy and Deadpool machines.

During this time, my bags were stored at the train station. It took me until Portland to realize I had access to Amtrak's metropolitan lounges, which are reserved for sleeper passengers and first- and business-class ticket holders. I took advtange of this so I didn't have to explore Portland lugging around my bags. (Although I still grateful that I used a backpack instead of my roller luggage!

(photo by me, Nov 10, 2018. An animated landscape view from the train, showing snow-covered trees and mountainside.)

I slept through all of Iowa and woke up to a snow-filled Montana! The mountains were beautiful and I loved watching the scenery go by. I had a lazy morning and skipped breakfast, but opted to step off the train in Shelby just so I could say that I've been in Montana.

I'm glad I did! A lovely woman stopped me to say she loved my hat and we chatted for a few minutes. Later, on my way to lunch, she asked to join me. We got along marvelously and I invited her along for dinner later that night. I told her about my birthday adventures, and she told me how she was taking the train to move to a new place because she'd fallen in love with someone. (How adorable!) I'd met other people on the trains but this is the first time I really hit it off with someone and made a new friend. We exchanged info and Facebook profiles so we could stay in touch when our adventures were over.

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This is basically a food photo post of my birthday dinner

I had reservations for Thursday, Nov 8 (the actual day of my birthday) at Farm Spirit in Portland. It's the best meal I've ever had in my life.

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. Me, a non-binary person, wearing a maroon polka dot dress with vintage jewelry, smiling into the mirror taking a selfie.)

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. The Farm Spirit menu, with a glass of current kombucha in the background.)

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. Celeriac pastrami, hazelnut taco.)

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. Hominy dumpling.)

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. Red napa cabbage.)

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. Sunchoke soup.)

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. Pickled button mushrooms.)

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. Half dried beets, black garlic.)

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. Roasted zucchini.)

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. Candied parsnip, candy cap ice cream.)

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Two days in Portland

(photo by me, Nov 6, 2018. Me, a non-binary person, wearing sunglasses and a backpack, smiling at the camera with an Amtrak train in the background.)

There was not much signal on the train from Los Angeles to Portland, so I haven't posted until now. The ride was mostly smooth and nearly exclusively gorgeous. Since I'd previously taken this train southbound, it was nice to see some of the scenery I'd missed before. I had meals with some lovely people, plus a baby was in my car, and she was the nicest baby! She was also wearing a Nirvana shirt, so you know she's a cool baby into retro music. (My goodness, is Nirvana actually retro now?)

(photo by me, Nov 7, 2018. An animated view of trees and forest in Oregon on the east side of the Coast Starlight northbound.)

The train was nearly three hours late getting into Portland, but I had no hard plans for last night. I stopped into Food Fight!, an amazing little vegan grocery store. I bought brie for dinner. Vegan brie! I wish I had refrigeration on the train because I would have purchased all the cheese in the store. I really wanted the port cheddar, but sadly there is only so much cheese I can eat during my stay. Although, I did eat half a wheel of that brie for dinner.)

(photo by me, Nov 7, 2018. A voodoo doll vegan donut resting on top of a pink Voodoo Doughnut pastry box.)

Beside the trip to Food Fight!, I also made the practically obligatory stop at Voodoo Doughnut for a half dozen of whatever vegan varieties they had yesterday. I ordered the above voodoo doll, plus chocolate covered cake, Oreo, Portland cream, maple, and apple fritter donuts. Yum!

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. A wall of brightly colored and wildly decorated socks.)

First on my agenda today was Sock Dreams. I've been ordering from them for about 6 or 7 years now, but being in Portland, I had to hit their actual physical location. It was trouble indeed picking out the socks I wanted, otherwise I would have cleaned out my bank account. I grabbed some slouch socks and some thigh high socks, reminding myself that I have enough ankle and crew socks at home. I also squeezed in surprise socks for A. as a souvenir.

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. A tall glass of Thai tea with boba and oat milk.)

Mississippi Ave has some nice shops along it, up and down from Sock Dreams. Instead of lunch, I ordered tea from Townshend's Tea and spent about an hour just sipping and people watching.

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. Two slices of pizza, one Spiral Tap and one Mythbusters, from Sizzle Pie.)

After, I visited Pearl Fiber Arts for vacation yarn, obviously, and walked away with two skeins of beautiful locally-dyed yarns. For lunch then, I went to Sizzle Pie, directly across the street from Powell's. I'd been there before, but wanted to have just a bit of early lunch since tonight will be a full dinner at Farm Spirit.

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. The large lighted sign for Powell's Books on the corner of 10th and Burnside in Portland.)

I cannot believe I didn't take any photos inside Powell's, seeing as I was there for a good three hours. I browsed the entire store (minus the annex) from top to bottom, contemplating many books but remembering that I have limited room in my bags for the ride home. I only ended up with a handful of books, manageable but still hefty.

It was a quiet yet busy afternoon in the shop, and even though I didn't talk to anyone, it felt calmly rejuvenating to be surrounded by so many booklovers. If I lived in Portland, I could see myself coming here all the time, and A. and I would need to buy bigger bookshelves.

(photo by me, Nov 8, 2018. Me, a non-binary person, wearing glasses and a purple hand-knit hat sporting a heart-shaped bisexual pride button.)

Portland is weird, and I love it.

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An LA holiday

(photo by me, Nov 4, 2018. A hot red sunset over the mountains in Arizona.)

Sunday night, I was concerned when I realized we might get into LA earlier than we'd expected. A 4:30am wake-up was not my idea of a morning on vacation. It wasn't awful, and even though breakfast wasn't served on the train that morning, our attendant gave us apples. He was a great help all along the two days from New Orleans.

It was slightly after 6am when we pulled into the station, and by the time I'd situated myself and got a cab, it was almost 7am. My biggest hope at the moment when I got to the hotel was they would hold my bags for me while explored for breakfast. Surprise! They let me into the room early! Way early! I was completely amazed and used the word amazed at them maybe nine times. That's some quality service. I totally would have understood, and was expecting, that they wouldn't check me in. I was able to get a couple more hours sleep before adventures.

(photo by me, Nov 5, 2018. A room at the Ace Hotel, showing a queen bed with color block blanket and the footboard against the window, a TV on the wall, and a desk along the wall opposite the bed.)

The Ace Hotel is great beside the customer service. The rooms are cute, the mini bar is packed with beverages and snacks, and the style is vintage loft. The location in downtown was perfect for the adventures I'd planned.

(photo by me, Nov 5, 2018. The walkway upstairs at The Last Bookstore, with it's archway made entirely of books.)

My first stop was Localitas and the Badassarie for lunch, and I highly recommend the sandwiches there. After fueling up, I went to The Last Bookstore for a couple hours. The shop is wonderful with a mix of new and used books and vinyl, and I had to contain myself buying books, since I'll be at Powells in Portland before the end of the week. I limited myself to one.

(photo by me, Nov 5, 2018. An art exhibit called The Weeping Willow, outside Gather DTLA with teardrops knitted or crocheted, each one representing a child separated from their parents during the immigration activities of the current administration.)

Upstairs inside The Last Bookstore is Gather DTLA, a local yarn shop. Of course I had to buy vacation yarn and chat with the staff there. Turns out she's lived in Philadelphia for a while, so we talked about the town and what we love about it. I ended up with a locally-dyed yarn which I'll knit into a cowl on my way to Portland, so expect further photos of that.

(photo by me, Nov 5, 2018. A vegan pizza, topped with fried eggplant, artichokes, mozzarella, and cashew alfredo sauce.)

Dinner was at Sage in the Echo Park neighborhood. I'd been there before, and it would have been nice hitting up something different, I knew I like the food and it was down the street from the comedy show I attended later that evening. This time, I ordered the pizza shown above, and I died from goodness. Yes, it was that tasty.

After dinner, I went to The Virgil for The Hot Tub Show, featuring several comedians, most of whom I did not know. Growing up, we watched a lot of stand-up in my family, so it's always a treat when I get to attend a live show. I especially loved Amy Miller and Kiran Deol, of which the latter did a bit about her 21st birthday spent in India, then included me by singing a "happy birthday pizza" song when she learned it was my birthday. Dimitri Martin surprised the crowd as a drop-in guest, and I was excited I finally saw him live. I didn't take any photos of the show, but so many were posted on The Hot Tub's Twitter account.

All in all, it was a fabulous day in LA. There is so much to do in that town, but I had the perfect low-key afternoon for me. I didn't want to stress myself out running from place to place, and the slow pace of the day relaxed me and rejuvenated my soul. Now, onto Portland!

[reedshill]

How to be an enby on vacation, or: I don't feel like correcting everyone I meet for two weeks

(photo by me, Nov 4, 2018. Me, a non-binary person, wearing glasses and a cardigan, smiling at the camera.)

I've mentioned before, and definitely on my personal tumblr, about being non-binary. Even though my 30s are coming to an end, I'm grateful to have discovered the various beauties of the gender spectrum over the past five-ish years. When I was younger, I thought perhaps I was a trans man, because being a girl just didn't feel right to me. I rebelled against all things labeled feminine, telling myself that just because I had boobs didn't mean I was required to wear dresses. I felt wrong in my skin but couldn't figure out why.

It's actually in part due to tumblr that I have been able to come out as genderqueer non-binary. Seeing other enbies being cuties or just living their lives, I was then able to let myself reclaim some of the things I'd previously discarded, and to start bringing dresses and other "girly" things back into my wardrobe (because fuck pants). Identity and presentation are not the same things, and I can be an enby without needing to appear androgynous all the time.

But then that leads to a lot of emotional effort on vacation. I'm presenting mostly femme, waring leggings, tee shirts, and cardigans. It is a decidedly comfortable outfit for train travel, but leads to me being met with "young woman", "lady", "ma'am", and "miss" all during my trip. The attendants mean well, but it's a larger symptom of a society that doesn't recognize that not everyone fits neatly into boxes labeled male or female.

So the question becomes: do I take precious time away from my vacation to educate people who may or may not be receptive? or do I allow myself to be misgendered the entire two weeks I'm away? So far I've chosen the path of least resistance, and have not corrected those who've used she/her pronouns for me, even though my pronouns are they/them. Especially with the non-native English speakers I've dined with; I'm not sure how to describe non-binary genders with the limited amounts of French and German I know. Even if I think it will be no issue, it's not my job to use my relax time to educate others. What I can do instead, is educate where I can, for example, my teammates at work, those in my therapy groups, friends and acquaintances in my social circles. Or even blog posts such as this one. I might be preaching to the choir, but it's tumblr that educated me; it may be tumblr that helps educate someone else.

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Vomiting on a train is no fun

(photo by me, Nov 4, 2018. A river in a small canyon, with tall cliffs on either side of the water. I had no signal at this time, so I'm not sure which river in southern Texas this is.)

Last night I had the best sleep of vacation so far, although it did come after being sick. At dinner, I'd ordered the only vegan option for dinner (pasta) and about an hour later became violently ill. This morning I discovered there was soy in the dish, TVP added to give the texture of a meat sauce. I hadn't noticed with all the vegetables; it was a delicious meal but I'll be sure to not order that one again. Looks like another dinner of a large iceburg salad! Luckily I've also packed a whole bag just for snacks.

I woke up earlier than I thought today, due to the time change of Daylight Saving Time ending. The sun was just coming up but I could hardly see it through the cloudy skies. The terrain had changed while I'd slept, moving from tall trees to short shrubs. At some point tonight, we'll hit the desert.

I sat for breakfast with a couple from Germany, maybe 10-15 years older than me. We talked about our travels, most obviously, but also about infrastructure and the differences between US and European train systems. The women, who live in Berlin now, asked me a question they were posing to all their meal companions: how do I feel about 45? How could he get elected? It seems the Germans are very concerned for us, and I shared my fear and anxiety with them. Part of my reasons for taking this trip were to see something left of the good in the country, beautiful and varied landscapes, quiet reflection time, and meals with friendly people. As much as I've been glad to ignore the news for a while, I also felt safe with them discussing how scared I am for myself and my loved ones. They mentioned many folks they've spoken to have expressed interest in moving out of the US, to Canada or Europe; I feel that myself at times. Part of me, even the beat down and emotionally exhausted parts, wants to stay and fight, however I can make that happen. I barely have the pepper to protest, but I can support those who do. My tiny acts of rebellion are better than complacency.

(photo by me, Nov 4, 2018. Landscape view of short scrubs with mountains in the background.)

This vacation is the well-deserved rest I need, to clear my mind, relax, and rejuvenate myself emotionally. Being in therapy for 14+ hours per week is hard work, but worth it if it means I can better myself to prepare for things to come. Before I can rage on behalf of others, I need to take care of myself, to build a reserve of energy to take on the fight. I'm so impressed with those with seemingly endless supplies of will, and hope they can also indulge in some self care. We need to support each other.

[reedshill]

One night in NOLA

(photo by me, Nov 3, 2018. The counter in the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, showing the static estimated arrival and departure times for the Crescent, Sunset Limited, and City of New Orleans trains.)

The above view was pretty much the entirety of my time in New Orleans. My train was scheduled to arrive at 6:30pm, allowing me to have a lovely dinner and a cocktail before hitting the sheets to catch some zzz's for an early morning train. No such luck. The train delay cost me an additional six hours, meaning not only had I missed dinner at Seed, my top choice restaurant, I also missed foods at other available vegan establishments. There was a 24-hour place down the street from my hotel, but it was all meat and seafood.

I plowed through the inconvenience, and ended up with four hours of sleep with nothing exciting to show for it! Four hours sleep in New Orleans should have meant a night at Cat's Meow for karaoke, not a delayed train.

(photo by me, Nov 3, 2018. Me, a white non-binary person, wearing glasses and a cardigan, smiling at the camera with the train view over my left shoulder.)

I'm cranky this morning, but as usual, it's difficult for other people to tell. I'm quite accomplished at hiding my feelings, especially if I think it's going to bother or burden other people. Part of the reason for this trip is introspective; as I mentioned in an earlier post, I've been through a lot, emotionally and physically, over the past six months, and I'm learning how to set boundaries and communicate better with folks. Part of that is not hiding my feelings and sharing with those close to me. However, I don't think that necessarily applies to fellow passengers on the train. Many of us transferred from the Cresent to the Sunset Limited and are dealing with four hours sleep. Knowing that other people are most likely just as cranky as I am helps me keep a smile on my face and try to be polite.

In fact, I shared a cab ride from my hotel with two other people from yesterday's train, also heading back to the station. A married couple with grown children, we chatted about families and our past and present travels. They graciously declined my share of the cab fare, so I in turn helped them with their bags. Although I still have severely limited grip in my left hand, I was able to roll a couple bags to the baggage check-in counter.

(photo by me, Nov 3, 2018. View from the left side of the train over a bridge, with the New Orleans skyline in the background.)

The train is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles super early on Monday morning, but I'm secretly hoping for another late arrival, in order to get a bit more sleep before having adventures. At least tomorrow is another day on the train, letting me take my time in waking somewhat closer to my body clock.

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Living on a train

(photo by me, Nov 2, 2018. A private sleeping compartment on the Amtrak Crescent, with a seat on the right and a toilet/sink combination on the left. A ebook reader and a bowl of grapes are on the seat, ready for me to do myself a relax.)

This is my room for the next half-day. I've already been on the train since 6:30pm last night, and definitely having a private room is the way to go on such a long train. For this route, I've also got my own toilet and sink, but that won't be the case on the rest of my trip.

This morning I met a lovely older couple at breakfast, and we talked about our respective vacation: me traveling through New Orleans for just one night, them having a week-long vacation. My time in the city will mostly be dinner and cocktails, while they have a full itenerary of adventure. I heard tales of their previous travels through the US and Europe, and their son's hiking trip through Iceland, a destination I would love to visit someday.

(photo by me, Nov 2, 2018. An animation of the view from my room, with fall-colored trees slowly moving by as we travel.)

The view has been varied today. Most of it has been scattered with fall foliage, but we've also passed through small towns and big cities. I keep trying to read by book (I Am Not a Serial Killer, by Dan Wells) but the distraction of the movement outside my window is too enjoyable. Something about it is meditative, and it's lending time for my self-reflection. (More on that later.)

(photo by me, Nov 2, 2018. A mini power strip that is too wide for the space where the outlet is located.)

My only frustration so far? Not being able to plug in my mini power strip. It has two outlets and two USB charging slots, and it is just too wide for the space. There's no way to squeeze it in, and I've been charging my phone off the Anker portable charger I have. I'm confident it will last at least until New Orleans, where I can hopefully purchase a smaller USB adapter; the battery life on my phone is amazing.

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Adventure begins in Washington DC! Since I wouldn't be home on my actual birthday, my lovely girlfriend A. took me to dinner tonight. Fare Well is one of my favorite restaurants in DC, with an all-vegan menu and delightful milkshakes. Since I'd be hopping on the train directly after dinner, I opted not to indulge in a milkshake.

We did, however, share the burrata and we both got fresh pasta dishes. Traffic was so horrid that we didn't have time for the leisurely dinner I'd hoped, but at least we had the opportunity to share a good meal together before not seeing each other for two weeks. I've been going through a lot, emotionally, over the past few months, and she's been a constant in all my turmoil. I nearly cried as we said good-bye; this is the longest we'll be apart since we moved in together. I do know that this vacation is something I needed to do alone, but that doesn't mean I won't miss her smile.

Alone time doesn't need to be lonely though. Even though all meals are included on the train with sleeper car reservations, I decided to forgo dinner but did sit in the dining car for a hot cup of tea. There I met a nice man also traveling much of the same route as me, who gave me some great tips for New Orleans and Los Angeles. He also informed me that there would be the new moon on Wednesday, so night views through California and Oregon will be sparse, if any.

My attendant is sparkly and bubbly, and I feel horrid that I forgot cash to leave a tip. I'm hoping that one of our stops tomorrow includes a break for stretching outside, and I can dip into the station for the ATM. Living in a cash-free world makes me forget about the little moments like this, and I'm wondering if there's a way I can Venmo her the tip. I wonder if that could be a good addition to the Amtrak mobile app?

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One bag, two weeks

Yesterday I mentioned my Osprey backpack; this will be my third vacation using this bag, but my most extensive. Two weeks! All the packing cubes fit in this pack, plus stamps, toiletry kit, umbrella, charger cables, mini USB/power strip, flashlight, flexible phone/camera tripod, headphones, Nook, and portable keyboard. When I leave the house later, I’ll also make sure my house keys and bus pass are packed in the pockets.

Taking just one bag like makes me a little nervous, since I usually pack my carry-on sized rolling case and matching backpack from Timbuk2. Now, I do love those bags! But with multiple trains and multiple cities, taking one backpack makes a lot of sense. It also forced me to pack as light as possible, and I’m feeling accomplished and very ready for this vacation.

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Packing as lights as I can

I’m now all packed for vacation. My train leaves tomorrow night, but I’ve been anxiously awaiting this trip since February, so packing early helps me feel more secure. I use Tick Tick for my to-do lists, and set up several for packing: clothes, health and beauty, snacks, and essentials.

All my clothes fits in the above cubes, and all the cubes fit into my Osprey backpack. My goal is to travel light on this trip, and even here I’m worried I’ve packed too much! But I love these Gonex packing cubes; I have two sets, a 5-set in orange and a 3-set in teal, and here I’m using all but the large sizes. 

What’s included:

one pair of purple plaid pants

one pair floral leggings

one mint green tee shirt

two long sleeve tee shirts, black and grey

one maroon polka dot dress

16 pair underpants

10 pair socks

1 pair tights

3 bras

pajamas

swim suit

hat, scarf, gloves

two necklaces, several pair earrings, and a bracelet

(Not pictured above are shoes and other essentials; that’ll be another post.)

Two weeks on a train requires comfortable clothes, but I still want to dress a bit for dinner, like in the golden days of train travel. Although I’m pretty sure there will be no snow, the train scenes from White Christmas are fueling my vacation fantasies.

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In preparation for my trip, I've bought a new Bluetooth keyboard.

I knew I would be blogging on my journey, but using my Android phone keyboard (even with Swype installed) can be tedious. But I also hate the on-screen keyboard for my iPad. I didn't want to lug my MacBook Pro, especially when luggage space is at a premium. So the only solution then would be an external keyboard.

So far, I am loving this keyboard. I only bought it less than an hour ago, but I immediately paired it with both my phone and my tablet. Testing this out on my blog beforehand was a must, because I'd hate to take it on the train only to find it cumbersome.

I did find a cheaper one on Amazon, but I picked this up at Best Buy because I'm impatient. The one on Amazon doesn't have the integrated slot at the top of the keyboard, and it's super convenient.

Time will tell if this is the best option, but today it's perfect and exactly what I need for vacation journaling.

[reedshill]

Preparing for adventure

(above: the western view from the Pacific Parlour Car on the southbound Coast Starlight, showing a large body of water in Oregon, somewhere south of Portland. Taken by me, August 10, 2016)

Earlier this year, I started planning my 40th birthday. I wanted it to be absolutely amazing, and something totally me. I considered going abroad, taking a cruise, driving cross country. I settled on the cross-country trip, but swapped out the car for a train. I’d previously traveled from Seattle to Los Angeles on the Coast Starlight, and determined that the trip should include that particular train, only in the opposite direction, heading northbound so I could see the sights I’d slept through before.

So then, my route encompasses Washington (District of Columbia), New Orleans (Louisiana), Los Angeles (California), and Chicago (Illinois). I booked a sleeper car for comfort as well as the option to be alone when I need it. Sadly, Amtrak retired the Pacific Parlour Car back in February, just days after I’d bought my tickets.

Nonetheless, the journey will not only celebrate my birthday, but will allow me to have solo time for quiet introspection. No doubt, there will be fun times had in each city I visit, but the train will provide space to doodle, sketch, journal, knit. I’ve been struggling with stress, depression, and anxiety over the past few months, and recently began group trauma therapy, so this vacation is one well needed.

The train tickets were purchased way back in February, but with month now turning September, it’s getting crunch time into preparing for adventure. Hotels are booked, but dinner reservations have yet to be finalized. I’m making notes and marking destinations via a custom Google Map, but I’m also giving myself the opportunity for spontaneous experiences.

This tumblr will act as both a journal and a travelogue. Alongside vegan food pics and selfies with tourist traps will be reflective thoughts about my life as a whole, including childhood abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault. Any entry with potentially triggering content will be labeled as such.

I’d love for readers to send me their recommendations or suggestions, or even comments or questions about my dreams and goals. Part of growing is also learning when and how to accept gifts from others.