7/14/25 11:30 p.m.
I arrived at the Depew, NY train station at 11:30 p.m., ready to check in (which, as it turns out, isn’t a thing) and deal with baggage drama. But Amtrak allows two carry-ons and a personal item, so my suitcase, tech bag, and purse breezed past the imaginary TSA checkpoint in my head. No stripping, scanning, or speed-repacking required. Life was good.
7/15/25 12:15 a.m.
We were supposed to leave at 12:39 a.m., but thanks to a “pedestrian strike” outside Batavia, we didn’t roll out until 4:15 a.m. By then, I was operating on zombie mode.
Coach class was surprisingly good. Plenty of legroom, deeply reclining seats, and enough space to stash my tech bag and purse. I managed some light winks.
That said, coach had its quirks. The train car smelled like a teenage boy’s bedroom. Don’t even get me started on the restroom. Apparently, some people feel no need to keep it in the bowl. Seriously. What do they think it’s there for? Decoration?
Still, the train staff were polite, helpful, and especially kind when I boarded and deboarded with my bum knee. All in all, not a bad way to start an adventure!
