For a future trip to the US I would like to confirm that you are not allowed to carry a pocket knife on trains. Last train trip I took in the US was in '93 (NY to Washington)and I carried a Buck 110 and Victorinox Champ on my person and a Navy Colt Replica in my baggage.

Immodium . . . 'cuz you never know.

Eye drops to get rid of the look of red, irritated eyes. The old rule about first impressions comes into play. Even though you will be one in a faceless mass, it is still important.

I think the mention about wipes is good. I quick refresh while waiting in the interminable lines is good.

My $.02.

Have fun.

A good size book pack/day-pack should blend in without a problem if you end up needing more room.

BTDT piece of advice. Document everything. When they tell you what courses will be required, have them give it to you signed, dated, & a copy to the registrar's office. Same thing applies after she's accepted & her adviser states that class X can be substituted for class Y. I went through the first process with the last degree & have talked with people that got caught by the second.

Exactly, backpackjac ... also, they make nice gifts if someone helps and things go in the right direction.

( I would definitely include some sort of cutting tool )

Other than a pair of scissors or shears , I think it is too risky to do that. I am thinking to take a small multitool AFTER removing the blades.

( Immodium . . . 'cuz you never know.)

Oh, I know.
Two weeks ago I had diahrea and vomitting

I still feel nausea time to time, and I found that cinnamon flavoured gum helps. So, I am loading up with the gum to help with nausea and stress.

Regarding multitools, I just got an idea

I always wished to have a multitool with more than one blade , so that if one is dull, I have another blade to keep going with stopping and looking for a sharpener.

So, there are two identical multitools in my collection. I will remove the straight and serrated blades from one of them and put in the other. This way, I have one multitool that is exactly what I want, and the other will be travel friendly !!

Yea !

LOL! Wrong thread, Izzy!

You are going to a city, by way a a RR station, and taking a cab. Gee ... I don't know ... sounds to me like there might have been people there before. Maybe even people there when you get there. They just might have food, water and shelter.

Pack comfortable natural-fiber clothes (comfortable and fire resistant), sturdy shoes, your wallet with a little cash and a CC, a jacket (they run the AC too cold), and a smile (relax and make some friends). Pen knife (clean nails make a better impression), lighter, a 12' hank of light line ( convert the jacket into a backpack and amaze the kids with a cat's cradle), cell phone, a couple of clean bandannas might come in handy (bandage, binding, etcetera). If you think it important stuff a granola or energy bar ( saves having to eat stale and overprices travel food) and a single dose packets of aspirin (headache or heart attack) and Imodium (diarrhea) in the jacket pocket.

In the heat I sometimes slip a half-liter bottle of water, refilled from the tap, in a jacket pocket. Not that I can't find water traveling but having a bottle I save the $2.50 for a new bottle and wet my whistle anywhere. On mass transit, if they object, I pout it out and keep the bottle. I get less objection when I tell then I 'recycle the bottles'.

I usually pack a small book or magazine for entertainment and a pocket notebook and pencil for notes.

Mass transit has supplies available. Vending areas and small shops are common. Like any town, it will have a drugstore and somewhere to eat.

Most cabbies are great sources of knowledge and wisdom about their town. Ask a cabbie where you can find something, pretty much anything at all, and they will know where to get it. A friendly cabbie is an asset. Be friendly and tip generously for value given without being a pushover. Same goes for conductors and transit police. Don't try to pass yourself off as a local. Your a traveler and new. Admit that, without coming across as gullible, they saw you coming half a mile off, and anyone in authority will pretty much automatically feel obligated to look out for you.

I've seen a simple polite smile and openness used as leverage so well that the pimps and hustlers were genuinely helpful.

My EDC FAK (ie everyday carry first aid kit) is a small plastic band aid box. Maybe 3x3x1 inch. After a few months I realized what gets used the most is not the bandaids but the Pepcid and chewable Pepto. Now i put in a couple Tylenol and a couple Immodiums, couple Benadryls for allergy sufferers which can be as debilitating as any major wound. Plus ya know, couple bandaids.

It's a day trip in the city. Other than being out of your natural surroundings, what you carry on you shouldn't be all that different than what you carry on you every day for work.

As what others have mentioned toss in a book. Maybe a small radio or smartphone app that lets you listen to your stations back home. Hat. Some jerky or powerbars since you know you'll gone the whole day. But campuses are pretty good about having hot food available healthy or otherwise. extra cash.