All Aboard the Amtrak

If you've ever wondered why I'm always tweeting or Instagraming from the train then this blog post might answer your questions. I've been in a long distance relationship since August 2012 with a guy that you've seen plenty of times over on my vlog channel. We went from seeing each other upwards to 4 times a week when we were studying abroad, to once a week if we're lucky. Thankfully the Amtrak has definitely facilitated seeing one another on weekends.

Being in Paris made both Orlando and I become public transportation enthusiasts. We rode the metro daily, the SNCF, and whenever we traveled we would take public transportation instead of getting a taxi. So when Orlando returned back home we started looking for ways to avoid having to drive back and forth to see one another. We looked into the Metrolink and Coaster but their weekend schedules are very bad. Of course we considered driving but it was never a good idea because gas prices were ridiculously high, plus we always ran the risk of getting stuck in traffic. So the best option became taking the Amtrak.

The Amtrak is the railroad system here in the U.S. which serves most of the United States and three Canadian provinces. I was already familiar with the Amtrak prior to adapting it as my weekend transportation. I had taken the Amtrak from San Diego to Los Angeles to see a friend once and I also took it from Seattle to Vancouver during a family vacation. The train I now take is known as the Pacific Surfliner which goes from Downtown San Diego to Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles. Most of the Pacific Surfliner trains are double decker trains with very comfortable seats, a cafe, bicycle racks, and even a cart just for those who plan to sleep.

My relationship with the Amtrak is definitely a love/hate relationship. I love that it has made dealing with a long relationship a lot easier and I love that I don't have to worry about anything once I'm on the train. The thing I hate deal with the ticket prices because they don't really offer many discounts which sucks. To make things better for us, my boyfriend and I share a 10-ride pass, so each of us ends up paying around $70 for 5 round-trips (which is much cheaper than getting individual tickets or paying for gas). Being in a long distance relationship isn't very cheap but we don't mind since we cherish every time we see one another.

If you're planning to take a trip up to L.A. or down to S.D. I would highly recommend the Amtrak. It is cheaper than driving, you get to enjoy the nice scenery, and it's definitely a lot more stress free than driving. You also get to see some amazing train stations along the way and meet great people. I love that some of the controllers now recognize me and chat with me whenever I hop on the train. The pictures were all taken at the Santa Ana train station which is where I head over whenever I go see my boyfriend.

Saturday's vlog

I hope you enjoyed today's lifestyle post. Let me know in the comments below if you're a train fan, or if you've ever been in a long distance relationship.