I’m looking forward to my first trip to the Greenbuild event, taking place this year in Toronto Oct. 4-7. Have you been to this one yet? It covers just about all aspects of truly green construction, from the internals our industry deals with, to landscaping and water conservation measures. It combines an expo with educational sessions.

It looks like a great expo, and I will be on the lookout for products and technologies that touch our industry. But I’m even kind of excited about the way I’m getting there. I’m taking the train from Windsor, Ont., to the main Toronto station (conveniently located at a hotel adjacent to the convention center).

It’s been a while since I’ve taken a train. Last time it was a commuter running from the Chicago suburbs to downtown. I bought the lowest fare. I was thankful it was a short trip.

Older and wiser, right? The Canadian fare is business class, so it includes Wi-Fi and a meal at a fraction of the cost of air travel. My hopeful mind expects to spend a couple of hours working happily and served warm food. I also didn’t bother getting a window seat; I’ve traveled the route before. It’s not especially scenic.

I’m curious about what security looks like at train stations. I don’t imagine that it will be like airport security, but neither do I think that there will be no security presence.

I’m not dwelling on my carbon offsets; though I appreciate that there will be some. On this trip, I will probably be comparing the hassle factor and actual time spent in travel. Is it doing the right things for the wrong reasons? I don’t think so. More communities are starting to re-embrace their mass transit systems. But there need to be clear benefits in terms of time, cost, and convenience.

Next time I check in, I’ll let you know how things played out. Until then!