Planes, Trains and Automobiles

I’ve written notes with this title before. Yesterday was one of those days where I hit all those forms of transportation. It was more like Automobiles, Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

This week’s destination is a place where I really wish I had a few extra days (San Francisco Bay Area). We are in a little town named Walnut Creek just northeast of Oakland. I am traveling with a co-worker that I am lucky enough to travel with quite a bit. It’s a good thing he is a great traveling companion.

Yesterday Ed missed his connection in Charlotte and his flight was 3.5 hours later than planned. Of course he had rented the car and he just knew I’d be stranded at the airport. I had scoped out our destination and knew that BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) had a train that left the airport and dropped me within two blocks of the Marriott where we are staying.

So I proceeded to head out on my little adventure. The BART train took me through San Francisco then under the bay to Oakland and then northeast to Walnut Creek. The train ride was a few minutes over an hour ride. The girl that sat in the seat next to me did not speak much English but was enough to know we were going to the same stop.

I always find it strange how things work out. Another guy that sat in the row in front us found out we were heading to his stop. This guy was about 20-21 and lives in the area. We struck up a conversation and I learned a lot about him on our trip. It’s funny how much people will tell you about their lives. His story was interesting enough to listen to.

His parents met in the Peace Corps; his father was from Costa Rica and his mother was from California. Neither spoke the same language when they first met but they still fell for each other. He spent most of his life growing up in Costa Rica. Then they moved him to the states to get a higher education. He is going to school to get a degree in Engineering. He and his friends are starting a Reggae Band. When he graduates he wants to join the Peace Corps and eventually he wants to sail around the world.

It’s so refreshing to listen to someone young who has all these lofty dreams. I don’t even know this kid and I so hope he can fulfill them. When we got off the train he helped the girl in the seat next to me with her suitcases. We had to navigate a long escalator and he made sure she got down with her bags and helped direct her to where she needed to go.

I was so glad that we found him on the train ride. It reminded me of my trip to Paris France in 1997. This girl was in a strange country; spoke broken English and this nice gentleman helped her get where she needed to go. I was so pleased to know that in a big city there are still young men that know how to be a gentleman.

I have lofty goals for the rest of this week… Tonight I have dinner plans with a friend I worked with in Charlotte over 10 years back. Then the next night I am hoping Ed will take the train with me into San Francisco and catch a cable car down to find some place to eat. He has never been to this area and I’d like to show him what little I know about the area.

I’ll try to get pictures this week. Tonight will not be the night since there is a huge storm blowing in today. They are projecting 2-4 inches of rain in the valleys and 5-7 inches in the hills. We are expecting winds in the 40-60 MPH range and in canyons gusts up to 70 MPH. You would know I’d be here when you have tropical force winds and rain. At least it’s only one day of bad weather.