I'll admit it: I like driving my car. I like blasting my music, I like feeling the wind whip by me, I like stopping at gas stations for candy and soda on long trips, and I like the freedom that having a car brings to my life.

But as I get older and my friends and family move further away, accounting for more long-distance traveling, I find myself focusing more on the things I don't like about driving. I don't like paying $30 to fill up the tank of my little sedan, I don't like trying to find a parking spot (Washington DC!!!), I don't like enlarging my carbon footprint, and I don't like sitting in traffic.

All of these thoughts were spurred on by a recent News and Observer editorial called "Talking trains." The article focuses on a Raleigh conference (hosted by The Women's Transportation Seminar) held this past Monday, which dealt with the issue of a possible new high-speed railway from Washington DC to Raleigh to Charlotte (and eventually to points further south). This project would cost approximately $3.5 billion--a huge chunk of change. However, once built, this railway would help keep our highways less clogged, save drivers money, and reduce the demand for gasoline. Not to mention that it would provide travelers with a speedy, yet relaxing way to travel. Just think: no more road-rage, no more traffic frustration, and the only thing you have to park is your butt in a seat.

Sounds appealing, even to me.