Elizabeths on a Train: The Deep End of Friendship

I was nervous to see her. I thought might cry. I knew I’d cry. She was so much a part of my deeply rooted love of story. In fact she is one of the deepest, strongest roots. But I’m getting ahead of myself. 
I have a handful of really good friends. Friends that even though we may not talk or see each other on a regular basis, sometimes years go by, but we pick right back up where we left off, in the deep end of friendship. Elizabeth is one of those people.



We met while working at Vroman’s bookstore in Pasadena, CA fifteen years ago (Fifteen years ago???). We became fast friends. We stocked shelves and recommended books in the children’s department and once and a while were reprimanded by our boss for talking. It was like sixth grade all over again. Our favorite thing was closing the store. We’d spend the last hour reading stacks and stacks of picture book galleys and pilfer the pile of young adult ARCs (advanced reader copy) to take home. We brought our secret writings into the open forming the first critique group I was ever a part of. She was a bridesmaid in my wedding spending a giggly night with me before the big day, drinking beer and enduring having to watch my brother streak the courtyard in celebration (I shielded my eyes). Those days were pretty wonderful.
Back in the day.
And then they weren’t. And then she moved away. It was a rough time for her to say the least. I understood why she had to go, but my heart did break a bit.
So much happened in the in between. I had two babies. We both went through a divorce. You know, the type of times you need friends like her near and she wasn’t. At least physically. But the support was felt over the miles.
We kept in touch over Facebook (Facebook is good for some stuff!). Earlier this year the idea of a writing train trip wouldn’t leave my head. I really wanted to do it. I mused about it with Elizabeth in a Facebook message and she wrote, Let’s do it! Why not?? Why not indeed. We planned over the months leading up to the trip. I bought party favors (because it’s not a writing train trip without party favors). We messaged each other with packing list items and travel reminders and countdowns. And by the way, you know you are traveling with the right person when you realize you packed the same book to read on the trip (Book club and a writing trip? Boom!).
I got into Montreal before she did and could not wait to see her. I passed the time wandering old Montreal and arranging the party favors on the bed so she’d see them right away. I drank glass after glass of Cabernet and ate an entire charcuterie platter. I was anxious, excited, hopeful.
Train trip favors!
We met at a lovely restaurant, Le Local, diving in with a long, long hug. We ate a late dinner giggling our way through. I sighed realizing I was relieved. We had picked up right where we left off.  Well of course we did. We could have talked all night, and our boss couldn’t write us up this time.

Fun outside the Albuquerque station
The train brought out the best in our friendship I think. I haven’t belly laughed that much in a long time. There was a lot of spontaneous singing and much creative brainstorming including our pipe dream of owning our own train just for traveling writer’s retreats, complete with a yoga car and fancy waiters serving great food. We came up with hilarious young adult novel ideas with titles like So Far From Normal and another called So Here’s the Thing. After seeing the Amish young people we thought that there should be a YA novel about Amish teenagers. We also came up with Train the Musical composed by Train (the band) of course. A ballad and rain drops running down a train window? Um that’s perfection. Train will be so stoked about this idea we think. We contemplated our album we could create called Train Sounds. We fantasized we were secret agents when we got the 007 compartment on the way to Chicago (I'm still bummed we didn't get a picture of that placard). We were sure we were sleeper agents about to be activated. “EOAT’s we need you!”
Elizabeth is adorable by the way. Example: She whistles a cute, not-at-all subtle whistle and looks around conspicuously whenever something strange or notable happens (which is often on the train) and writes in her journal.
I mean come on.... adorable.We were perfect travel companions I think. We both had a great fun together, but it was also super easy to go off on our own and do our own thing if that’s what we wanted. No pressure to be with each other 24-7.


The fun continued as days went on. We tried do planks and dips in the our compartment to do a little bit of a workout and let’s just say, that didn’t really work. I really wish we had a picture of that. We were laughing so hard I’m pretty sure the couple  in the compartment across from us through we were crazy. We had happy hour in our 9 and ¾ mugs. We had a great talk about gender and books/toys. “Glitter is for boys and girls right?” a boy asked her once. Why yes it is. Glitter it up, kid!!! We contemplated train tattoos to commemorate the experience, but a single train track just looks like an upper case “I” so… nah.
Happy hour
On the last leg home we both listened to The Raven read by Christopher Walken. It was sorta perfect.
I also told her I was sorry. When she lived out here she needed me more then I knew. I wish I had helped her and shielded her from a person that was destructive. I felt like I should have known. I wish I knew. Elizabeth, I’m sorry. You deserve so much more then what you experienced those years out here in California. Going to your wedding next year will no doubt be one of the most joyous experiences of my life. I’m so lucky you found Ken. And Ken is a lucky, lucky man to get your love.
We ended the trip where we began, so many years ago, at Vroman’s Bookstore. We got there early in the morning so we kicked it in Zeli’s coffee shop with hot chocolate and a giant blueberry muffin. We used to love to get the tomato feta sandwiches from here on our lunch breaks. So many memories were here, it was almost overwhelming for our travel weary selves, but it was perfect place for the train trip debrief. 
We sat close to the Vroman's door trying to act super casual and while waiting for them to open.We wandered the books aisles our old stomping grounds, familiar, yet unfamiliar too. We bought each other books as end of the trip gifts. I got her Bone Gap by Laura Ruby and she bought me S by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst. We went to my house and took real showers (Oh my god that was the best!) and lounged on the couch watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The end was coming so near and we were feeling it. We were so tired physically and mentally so we were ready I think, but still. She lives one day and 13 hours away from me. I know. I google mapped it. That’s too far for a forever friend like she is.

As much as this trip was about writing. It was as much or maybe more about friendship.
This beautiful pixie can steal my phone and take a selfie anytime.