Back in daily life, we’re obsessed with optimization. We want the fastest flight, the shortest commute, the most efficient route. But the train from New York to Chicago reminds us that the point isn’t always to arrive quickly—it’s to arrive differently.
The next time you feel the urge to rush through something, remember the quiet hours between Albany and Buffalo. Remember how the world looks softer from a moving window, how a stranger’s story can fill a whole hour, and how sometimes, the best way to get somewhere is to take your time getting there.
Take the train. Let the rails do the navigating. Your destination will still be there when you arrive—and you might just arrive as a slightly different person.
