The author, MDOT Intern Victory A. Momoh, reaches the final stop of her first train ride.
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but train rides are actually… nice?
Before now, I had never taken a train; not back home in Nigeria, and certainly nowhere else. In my head, trains were either dangerous, confusing or straight-up chaotic. I had read way too many tweets about people being stuck for hours, missing their stops or suffering some random panic on board. Add to that the fact that I just never had the chance growing up, and so yeah, trains were a “no” for me.
That is until I had no choice. My best friend, Joe, dropped me off at Penn Station late in the morning of July 22 and I was off to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Headquarters, as an intern in the Public Affairs Department. My destination was the Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) rail station, which is a short walk away from MDOT Headquarters. My scheduled train time was 11:45 AM; I got there early and spent a good while trying not to look lost, but I was.
I must have looked so confused when asking strangers, “Is this the train to BWI?” “Where do I stand?” The answers eased my panic. I was on the right track.
Somewhere between pacing the platform and triple-checking signs, it hit me: “Girl, you’re literally an intern at MDOT!” The same MDOT that helps run this train I am standing here waiting for. I did not even need to buy a ticket (perks of the job). Somehow, that small detail made everything click. I wasn’t just trying a train for the first time; I was experiencing the very thing my workplace is constantly working to improve.
I am currently a graduate student at Morgan State University in Baltimore, studying Global Multimedia Journalism and Communication. As someone deeply interested in how people connect and tell their stories, I realized that moments like this feel even more meaningful and I am slowly learning that some of the best stories happen off the page.
A Maryland Transit Administration MARC train pulled up. I got on, sat by the window which, of course, is my favorite spot. Let me just say: the views? Beautiful. Quiet towns, trees everywhere, tunnels, little rivers, old buildings with character. It was as if Maryland was showing me a side I had not seen before. It felt peaceful, no traffic stress, no honking. It was just me, my bag and a surprisingly calming ride. The ride back from work was even better. I was more relaxed. I started noticing people more, a guy reading a book, a girl listening to music, and yes, even someone taking a nap. Everyone was just minding their business, going places and living.
I don’t know why I was so scared of this before. Fear really be lying to us sometimes. Truth is, there is something therapeutic about being in motion without having to do the work. Just sit, think, breathe and watch the world move – like mooooove, and that is what the MDOT Transportation system is all about.
So, if you have never taken the train before because you are scared or because it just never felt like something you can do, this is your sign.
Try it, even if it’s just once. You might like the peace, meet someone interesting or even fall in love with the motion. But more than anything, you might prove to yourself that something you feared wasn’t that scary after all.
Will I be trying the train ride again? Definitely. Should you try? Yes. If you have been waiting for a little push, maybe, just maybe, this is it.
Victory A. Momoh is an Intern at the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Office of Public Affairs.