@mejh I didn't think of that, but that's true for me as well. It feels like more of a journey when you can see the progress.
@ChrisHannah I love this perspective, and I share your feeling of "an allocated amount of time to do whatever I want," but this whole article I kept thinking, "How is this different from a plane flight?"—and you answered right before the end. I guess I fly enough that the chaos and stress of airports no longer affect me (and my being American means long train journeys are far, far more rare).
@jatowler that’s probably a better way to put it. I guess everyone has their own version of a period of time where they can do anything they want. For me in the UK, trains are so easy it makes getting in a plane seem like so much of a hassle.