For me, it’s running through a German Train station, with a 50 lb bag strapped to your back, dragging another heavy ass bag, all while you know you already missed your train because the fucking airplane was late, and not knowing much German at all. That’s the thing they don’t tell you, they all speak English, but every sign, board, and piece of writing you look at is in bloody German. I missed my train into Salzburg, and had to run around looking for a ticket so my poor host wouldn’t be waiting forever wondering where the hell I was. I bought what I thought was the right ticket, and found a station with a lot of trains. Like, not four or five, thirty five long red trains. It would have been more exciting had I not been in a panic. I asked at least 100 people where to go, and everyone tried to point me in the right direction, but it ended up being more confusing. I finally found an information desk (very scarce to come by) and asked the lady where to go. She said “The next train leaves to Salzburg in five minutes, but it’s on the other side of the building.”
I have never run so fast in my life.
Finally spotting number 10 SALZBURG I sprint the last 100 meters, sliding in right before the doors close. I literally (I don’t use that world lightly) collapsed into my seat and sat spluttering and panting, a sweaty hot mess that probably looked psycho as fuck. I couldn’t even talk for ten minutes. The girl sitting on the other side of the isle asked if I would like her water. She is my angle. Funny how you find angels in the most random of places. But I am not lying when I say she saved my life.
Anyway, I’m on the right train, I think, and it says NON STOP TO SALZBURG. So of course I think non stop means non-fucking-stop. But nooooo! It stops a good fifty times, and each time is in a new town I don’t recognize. I’m panicking again, what if I miss my stop? My ticket doesn’t say anything (which by the way I didn’t need to spend 24 euros on because the guy didn’t even check it) So I sit there in a quiet panic, still sweating my ass off, and debating whether or not it’s appropriate to cry at this point. I decide against it, the poor people next to me probably think I’m batshit crazy already. Here’s a tip kids, print out a map of whatever airport/train station/buss place you are going to before hand, in your native language, and hold on to that like it’s your life savings. Also carry cash, because nowhere takes card. I am here now, finally arrived and I get out onto platform 4, find my way to the internet and get ahold of my host. The drive was dark, but from what I could tell beautiful. Now I am awake and it’s so much like home. The forests and trees, and the similar sounds of crows. I think I am really going to like it here.
I have never run so fast in my life.
Finally spotting number 10 SALZBURG I sprint the last 100 meters, sliding in right before the doors close. I literally (I don’t use that world lightly) collapsed into my seat and sat spluttering and panting, a sweaty hot mess that probably looked psycho as fuck. I couldn’t even talk for ten minutes. The girl sitting on the other side of the isle asked if I would like her water. She is my angle. Funny how you find angels in the most random of places. But I am not lying when I say she saved my life.
Anyway, I’m on the right train, I think, and it says NON STOP TO SALZBURG. So of course I think non stop means non-fucking-stop. But nooooo! It stops a good fifty times, and each time is in a new town I don’t recognize. I’m panicking again, what if I miss my stop? My ticket doesn’t say anything (which by the way I didn’t need to spend 24 euros on because the guy didn’t even check it) So I sit there in a quiet panic, still sweating my ass off, and debating whether or not it’s appropriate to cry at this point. I decide against it, the poor people next to me probably think I’m batshit crazy already. Here’s a tip kids, print out a map of whatever airport/train station/buss place you are going to before hand, in your native language, and hold on to that like it’s your life savings. Also carry cash, because nowhere takes card. I am here now, finally arrived and I get out onto platform 4, find my way to the internet and get ahold of my host. The drive was dark, but from what I could tell beautiful. Now I am awake and it’s so much like home. The forests and trees, and the similar sounds of crows. I think I am really going to like it here.