I personally think trains are exciting and romantic. I must admit that trains are not important means of transportation in the US, but I do have some experiences with them.
When I was a child, growing up in a small town with very little entertainment, we used to go to the station to watch the passenger trains coming in. There was something exciting about the steaming, roaring string of trains coming into view around the mountains, slowly growing larger and louder and finally after their stop crowds of strangers spilling （漏出）onto the platform.
I took my first train trip when I was ten years old. I went with my elder sister to visit our cousins six hundred miles away. The train — so loud and violent on the outside — was gentle and rocking inside. We were very excited, and as that was also our first time away from our parents, we felt somewhat frightened too. However, because I had expected so much, I was a little disappointed when I was finally one of the passengers I had watched for so long.
As a college student, I used to ride an overnight train to my roommate's hometown. We could never afford a sleeper, so we played cards, sang, ate, read and talked until we finally fell uncomfortably asleep in the straight-backed seats.
My idea that trains are romantic may come from the fact that my husband and I took the train on our honeymoon, spending extra money to eat in the dining car, and looking out of the window as the desert scenery slid past.
Now, when I make a trip, I always fly or drive, and trains are not a very important part of my life. Still, every time I hear the train whistle far away on a quiet night, I can always feel the impulse in my heart to pack my bags and jump on board, entering a unique world of motions, sounds, sights and experiences which just aren't matched in the dull environment of an airplane.
