I have a tendency to overpack. The first time I took the Amtrak back home from Conn I lugged two giant bags and my backpack onto the train and squeezed them into the luggage space. I am now a self-proclaimed Amtrak expert, zipping back and forth from the New London to Boston with reasonably sized bags that fit easily aboard the train.

As a “JOB” (just outside of Boston), I frequently see Conn students on the train heading to Beantown, sometimes to go home, sometimes to catch a Celtics game. One reason I love Amtrak is that the train station is located so close to campus in one of the prettiest parts of the city, showcasing a really large whale statue outside of the station and a nice view of the water, with the occasional submarine floating by. It takes about two hours to get home, but Amtrak is actually my favorite form of transportation to get there because it has free wifi and I don't get car sick from reading so I can usually finish a good chunk of work during my train rides. There is also a cafe car, which is great for frequent snackers who overpack but forget important things like sustenance.

I went home recently to visit my niece and nephew and to celebrate my older brother’s 21st birthday. My niece and I baked him a cake, and danced around the kitchen to music from the 1950s. Although I love being at school, especially when the weather is beautiful and Tempel Green is packed with people, the ability to get off campus is nice to recharge and experience old and new things. If you live a flight's distance away from campus do not worry because Conn is between New York City and Boston, both big, fun cities with train stations and airports. My friends and I have taken many day and weekend trips to the cities, visiting places like the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Faneuil Hall. And if railroad travel is not your thing, there is always the Cross Sound Ferry that leaves from New London that can take you (and your car or bike) to the nearby islands of Block Island, Fishers Island, and Long Island.