June 18, 2011
Amanda Goes to LeakyCon
Like some of you, I am incredibly excited I’ll be going to Leakycon! (If you aren’t going, don’t worry there will be great stuff 
online.) But, being environmentally conscious, I planned my trip to be both super awesome and eco-friendly. That’s right, my trip includes Daniel Radcliffe, film premieres, and traveling in style, while reducing my carbon footprint! Too many people focus on the final destination rather than the journey, but how do kids go to Hogwarts? Not by floo powder or apparation–they take the train, and so am I! Yes, it will take longer, but I built it into my trip in an incredibly awesome way. You might be thinking “how nice that you live so close” but check this out:
I’m coming from Canada, over 1,700 miles away from Orlando. To get to Leaky, I’ll be taking a car through New England and trains down the east coast. By choosing this over flying, I’ll be emitting almost 60% less carbon (roughly 187kg vs. 477kg)! But equally awesome, I have planned a few extra days in New York City where I am switching trains. I’ll be seeing Daniel Radcliffe in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, I’ll be going to the Harry Potter Exhibition, AND I will be in town for the NYC film premiere! …not to mention I’ll get to see NYC, which I haven’t seen before. Then, I get to ride a train for a day down the east coast of the United States and sleep in my own little cabin. I’m literally taking the train to Hogwarts! Seriously, how cool is all of that? And the cost of travel is about the same as a plane ticket.
But it doesn’t stop there. While friends are planning side trips to Disneyland, I’m planning go to see the Everglades or other natural wonders in Florida on the Monday after the con. Although I’m thinking the heat and bugs will be annoying, I’ll get to see a landscape found nowhere else. Sadly, there is a real threat that climate change is going to make this treasure disappear, and I want to see it while I have the chance. I try to visit national parks on every trip, and my favorite to date was walking on a glacier in Alberta that will be gone within decades. It really helps me appreciate all the wonderful things in our world and why it is so important to make good choices as much as possible.
Wiiliam
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Sounds like you’re going to have a fun trip!
Michelle
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Amanda, I commend you on your eco-friendly travels! I’m starting to understand that things in life that are most “worth it” take a little bit of time and/or effort and this is probably true of reducing our carbon footprint too. Thanks for sharing.
KateKintail
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I took the train down the east coast last year to Infinitus. Made me feel like a real Hogwarts student heading to Hogwarts
And it was nice being able to sit back and watch the country go by outside the window without worrying about stopping for the night or to eat or getting lost along the way.
http://just-the-things.livejournal.com/56230.html