How I do conferences
Six days on the train, two days at the meeting
I left home at noon last Thursday, headed for the Costume Society of America annual symposium in Los Angeles. As I do whenever possible, I took the train.
No, I am not afraid to fly; it’s just more fun to take the train. I like watching the world go by outside my window. I enjoy sitting down for meals with other travelers and sharing stories. I sleep like a baby, rocking in my roomette berth all night long. most of the time, I plan it so I don’t have to worry about connections or delays. That’s a good thing, because Amtrak shares the rails with freight trains that in parts of the country get priority. Less common, but more disruptive, are accidents, breakdowns, and derailments. On this trip, we’ve had a bumper crop of trouble.
My Washington, DC train was delayed by mechanical trouble farther south, and arrived in Chicago more than three hours late. No Lou Mitchell breakfast for me. However, the Southwest Chief to Los Angeles was delightfully early, which gave me time for a nap AND a movie in my hotel before the opening reception. So far, so good.
The conference was great, even better than I expected. The keynote speaker was Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter, and she was warm, funny, and gracious, even on Zoom from London. Not an easy feat. I met dozens of student and emerging scholars, who are doing fascinating work in research, technology, and design. I might even have been inspired to get back to work on the dead book. Version 4 or 5? I have lost track.
The return trip has been more of an adventure. The Chief lost three hours to freight traffic, so I arrived in Chicago about an hour before boarding the Cardinal, which would take me home via West Virginia instead of Pennsylvania. A longer ride, but beautiful scenery. When I went to bed at ten, we were on time, about an hour and chance from Indianapolis. When I woke up at 6, we were in Indianapolis. Uh-oh. we had been sitting in Indianapolis all night due to a 175-car freight train derailment northwest of Cincinnati. The good news: I have food, wifi, a comfy seat and my usual amusements (knitting, drawing, reading, music on my phone , and games on my tablet). Oh, and a nice view of the sky.
Right now, the delay adds up to 8 hours.
See you whenever.
One advantage of being stalled here: it’s easier to draw when the train is not moving.
I can't wait for the Northlander's return next spring.