Topic: 13 Thursday
1. 
I put my thirteen year old daughter, Samantha, on an Amtrak train yesterday. She is going to visit her Nana and company for a month. Did I mention that she is thirteen?
2. I woke up in the middle of the night and it took a minute to dawn on me why I didn’t see a sleeping Samantha.
3. When I woke this morning I was also a little unbalanced. I feel like there is something that I need to be doing???? but in all reality there isn’t.
4. It feels very strange to not be committed to anything... What can I do with my time?
5. This is Samantha’s 3rd year taking the Amtrak up to Boston.
It’s a 10 hour trip.
6. We travel to Richmond to get her to the train, which is a 3.5 hour trip as well. I love this picture of the Richmond tracks.
7. The first year she went I was very nervous, but each year gets easier.
8. Amtrak has a wonderful “unaccompanied children” policy. The child is interviewed to be sure they are mentally fit to travel alone, they have to wear a special bracelet,
sit in a special area near the conductor, must travel during daylight hours, can not take a train that requires a lay over or a train switch and the person picking the child up must present valid I.D. before they release her.
9. The first year Sami made the trip she came home all excited because the conductor had let her announce all the upcoming stops over the intercom.
10. Our dog, Toby, or I should say Sam’s dog, Toby, definitely noticed her absence.
11. I didn’t know this:
Amtrak is owned by the federal government. The members of its board of directors are appointed by the President of the United States and are subject to confirmation by the Senate. You learn something new everyday!
12. When I was 18 I took the Amtrak from Virginia to San Francisco, stayed in San Francisco for two months and then traveled on to Boston. The trip across country was a 3 day trip and yes it was a little grubby (no showers) but I had an absolute blast! I traveled alone and saw so much. I found this neat article from 1983 about the All Aboard America program. I did the All Aboard America in 1987.
13. I miss you already Miss Samantha. I hope your having an excellent time at Nana's!