Well, here I am in Chicago at the fabulous Hard Rock Hotel.  Wow!! Nice place.  Flat screen tv, leather snake skin chair, stainless steel everything.  Now I know why I’m paying nearly $200 for one night. 

At any rate, I’m here for my interview with the Delta Institute tommorrow.  If you recall, I’m interviewing for a position that works with Delta’s emerging carbon portfolio.  Specifically, I would be working with farmers and other landowners to aggregate and trade carbon offset credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange. Interesting job and one that is at the forefront of the emerging market for ecosystem services.  I’m excited and nervous about interviewing for this job.  I’m not sure why I’m nervous. After all, I’ve held up under the steely, confidence-robbing stare of Prof. Firestone and survived Administrative Law.  After those experiences, I should be prepared for anything.  During the interview, I expect to answer a lot of questions regarding carbon markets and a lot of questions about the MSEL degree.  Most people have never heard of the MSEL and immediately assume that I am an attorney.  So, I hope to have a standard line memorized when I’m inevitably asked to explain my degree. 

So, I’d like to say a few words about my midwestern sojurn from Lansing to Chicago on Amtrak.  First of all, it’s not bad.  For starters, there is tons of leg room – twice as much as you would find on an airplane.  Plus, you bring all your luggage on board and stow it in the cavernous overhead bins.  Of course, this is problematic because people will haul full-size pieces of luggage onto the train.  The ride down was about 5 hours, with 4 stops (Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Dwoziack, Niles) between Lansing and Chicago.  Plus, we got stuck in “freight traffic”.  Go figure.  And, my fare was cheap – $50 round trip compared with $200 to fly.  If Amtrak has a downfall, it is the number of young children on board. With cheap fares, lots of leg room, carry-on luggage, and really simple boarding (no security checks), families flock to the train.  I had three young kids around me, laughing screaming, etc.  Ugh. 

A few other observations about my 5 hour trip.  I saw lots of poverty along the route.  From homeless people sleeping beneath overpasses (or in the city park next the tracks in Kalamazoo), to the rundown neighborhoods outside of Chicago that surround the tracks. Poverty is everywhere along this route.  I also saw lots of pollution.  The train passes through the rail yard of US Steel in Gary, Indiana. Tons of trash, rusted out buildings, emissions – not a pretty site.  So, I guess it’s true.  Ride Amtrak and see America – the REAL America. 

Well, I think that I’m going to wander around town and grab a bite to eat. 

tp