A Spontaneous Trip to Baltimore

7/17/11 - Traveling through the York countryside looking for an adventure, I eventually ended up on 83 going south toward Baltimore. I looked at the clock - 4 pm. Ok, so I have a couple hours to grab dinner at Inner Harbor. What the hell, I thought. It's fun to be spontaneous.

The Light Rail is my favorite way to go into Inner Harbor. At $3.20 round trip, you can't go wrong. And there's also the colorful people you sometimes run into on the train... A group of high school kids boarded the empty vessel followed by a man thanking them for some miscellaneous info. The kids appeared indifferent--choosing seats where he wouldn't be able to sit next to them. I hate to use the words "on crack," but in this case I think it's appropriate. The man appeared to be on crack. The seat next to me was empty. I saw him approaching me. I kept my eyes shielded with my sunglasses and gently moved my knee over into the next seat thereby sending him the subtle message "Sorry but this seat is taken...by my knee."

Yes, these people make life more interesting, but in this case I was glad I followed my intuition. As the train was moving the man shouted from the back, "Hey anyone ever read the Da Vinci Code? This is just like the Da Vinci Code!" I wasn't sure what he meant by that and yes I have read the book, but I kept my hand down. The air was filled with a chorus of nearly inaudible grumbles and "Oh god." A smirk crossed my face as I enjoyed a chuckle. I nearly wanted to turn around and see what he was doing, but my inner voice said, "No, don't turn around or you will be acknowledging him."

The train unloaded me at Camdem Yards. Hallelujah! The Harbor was full of people enjoying the sunshine, pirate cruises for kids and a band playing "Sweet Caroline." I really wanted to grab some chicken wings at Hooters, and sit outside over looking the crowd, but the moldy money in my wallet said, "Get some pizza and save on the cost of tipping." Two slices of pizza and one medium soda for $8.55. Ouch! Not as cheap as I thought it would be.

I found myself searching for books on travel over at Barnes & Noble. My find: A House in Fez, by Suzanna Clarke. In this true life adventure, Australian photo-journalist Clarke and her husband decide to buy a house in Fez, Morocco. She recounts the joys of remodeling her new home in a country where she couldn't speak the language. It's synchronicity! I thought. Morocco is on my list of places to visit. Also, the story reminds me of one of my favorite movies "Under the Tuscan Sun!" If this were Oprah's Book Club, I'd have a copy for everyone, but the moldy money in my wallet says, "Get your own!"

As I was searching through the teen section at BN, I encountered a very ridiculous man. His girlfriend was searching for a teen book. "These books are for teenage girls! Why do you want to read these books? You have five minutes," he declared.

Wow. So many things wrong with that statement. I guess I'm a teenage girl then, because I like to read teen books.

The night ended with much less excitement, but the train ride gave me some time to gain ground on my new reading treasure.