Post #2848575

@europeanspodcast@mastodon.social I switched to trains after arriving in Europe from the USA several years ago because I abhor commercial airline travel even though I relished the time I spent as a light plane pilot. The cramped conditions, having to show up hours early, the indignity of some of the security screening procedures, having to be separated from your luggage, the regulations related to what you can pack, the adverse environmental impact — these are just some of the downsides of flying that make train travel attractive to me. That said, it did take several months to get comfortable with working out European train schedules, purchasing tickets, and reserving seats. The biggest adjustment I had to make was to stop thinking of the travel as separate from the reason for the travel. When those things were separate, I, of course, wanted to minimize travel time. Now I focus on interesting train journeys as part of the overall reason for travel. I live in Kyiv, so I’m really looking forward to victory, after which I’ll feel more free to continue exploring Europe by train.