I was on a train travel adventure and managed to get a little stranded at the Lamy station (my friend's car broke down en route to come retrieve me, and she was still hours away), but it ended up being such a bright spot in the middle of my trek.
First of all, the station itself is really cool. It's tucked up near some beautiful hills and the trees surrounding the picnic area provide lovely shade and make it a picturesque place to kill a little time. Inside, there is a little waiting room with super cool art and signage, and in the back there is a cozy pub with a great beer selection and even a food menu. They have WiFi that they freely share, and that afternoon there was a guitarist playing mellow tunes while folks just hung out. I'm not sure how I got so lucky to find such a gem of a place to post up; I spent much of the time marveling at my good fortune (and drinking a tasty beer).
As cool as the station is, the real find was the people who staff and patronize it. You couldn't ask for a more welcoming or warm group of humans. As soon as I asked the station master about alternative modes of transit, my plight made the rounds. Before I knew it I had complete strangers offering me rides to various points so I could meet up with my friend. And while that at first might sound a little sketch, I can honestly say that it was just well-intentioned kindness. There is a palpable sense of community that permeates the entire place, and one can't help but soak it up.
I ended up accepting a ride from a lovely gentleman who was on his way north with his college-aged daughter. What could have been a stressful travel delay actually ended up being an unexpected but wonderful mini adventure, and I managed to discover a magical little realm in a small train station seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
Lessons (less learned than) reiterated and reinforced: the journey is just as important as the destination, accept the kindness of strangers and then turn around and offer it to others, and when possible, stop and have a beer and a chat at the Amtrak Lamy Station. read more