Burnt out from working their ass off all the time with not much of a paycheck to show for it, the author of Scarpa Flow made a decision in 2008 to quit their job and get on a train to see the country. The plan was to ride the Amtrak and see four cities in four weeks, to see four different friends. This first issue documents the very beginning of the trip riding through Washington to Illinois, finally landing in Cincinnati, Ohio. On the train, they meet drunken creeps trying to lure them to their compartments, married couples, a professor, and some partiers. Riding the train allows for lots of time getting to know people and their stories. This first issue came out a long time ago, so I’m really hoping we’ll see the rest of the four-week trip documented in zine form soon! –Tricia Ramos (Scarpa Flow: A Travel Zine, [email protected])