what will you do with your money there, honey?

Tomorrow morning I'm taking an Amtrak to DC. I'm psyched. I love trains, but I rarely take them for long distances in this country. Consistently when I am in another country I choose the train over bus even if the travel time is longer (and if you want a cheap train, you better believe that train is creeping).

But here lies the real conundrum: going by train rather than car to DC, my luggage is limited.

Dare I leave my Sambas at home?!

Yes, dear readers, I am wondering if it is that time in my life. I don't think I've been apart from my trusty black-and-white sneakers for about (this is so embarrassing) six years. This does not count the years spent actually legitimately playing indoor soccer (I swear, it's true, though I wasn't very stellar at it. I was a much better runner. I was the go-to person to run for the first-aid kit.)

I won't actually need street sneakers while there. Work shoes will most likely be sufficient for non-working hours, which will most likely be spent reading linguistics books and my new guilty pleasure, Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. I'm bringing running sneakers in hopes of realizing my dream of running in the hotel gym. There just isn't room.

But do I leave behind any hopes of actually living a life of resistance or just an absurd loyalty to a shoe style? I will look like everyone else in attendance, what with my heeled shoes and sharp lines. I had always prided myself before on never quite conforming to the dress code, but now I submit without struggle.

Maybe I should focus on packing my laptop instead of wasting precious sleep time typing by candlelight (and listening to the bandolin!)