Lucky day!

I got up this morning early! My alarm was ringing at 6 in the morning. I got up, fixed myself, had breakfast and packed the last things. I made my way down to the central bus station and came there in time. I realized yesterday by accident, that I was going the first half of the trip, from Oslo to Karlstad by bus and not by train as I actually thought.

Anyways, I was there early enough and was looking for the bus number, but could not find it on the monitor. So I asked a rather not-service minded employee. To say it clearly, the stupid a**h*** behind the counter was more interested in typing on his phone, than trying to help me. The only thing, that he said was, that he would not know where the bus was leaving.

So I ran, since it was just five minutes until the bus or train or whatever it would be was about to leave, to the train station. I was asking an employee standing in the middle of the hall and he pointed me in the direction next to the last rail. I went there and found a couple of busses standing there, I went to one of the drivers, who was already sitting in his seat and not outside smoking with the others. Luckily it was the right bus; luckily, because in the moment I stepped onto the bus the driver closed the door and left.

I found the last available spot in the bus and put my stuff in the overhead locker. The guy sitting next to me first didn't wanted to take his stuff from my seat, but when he realized, that it was the last empty seat he put his backpack unwillingly between his feet. He was anyways weird, the whole way to Karlstad he was moaning about stuff. When I sat down next to him he was moaning, when there was a slow scooter or truck in front of us he was moaning, when the cell phone of the guy infront of us rang he was moaning and even when we were going around a corner he was moaning about something. At least I had the impression he did.

Anyways, the trip was pretty eventless. Just one time we nearly crashed into a car coming from the other direction; The driver of the car presumably overestimated the power of his car or underestimated the speed of the bus, but he was going back into his lane in the last second.

Then we arrived late, meaning after schedule in Karlstad train station, the train to Stockholm was already waiting. I was looking for my carrier, which was the first one of the train, so in the other end of the train. I found my seat and sat down about a minute before the train was about to leave. Suddenly I realized, that I had forgotten my wallet in the bus. I had taken it out of my backpocket just to be more comfortable. I was thinking half a second, was then grabbing all my stuff running along the carrier, jumped out of the train and ran to the bus. Remember, I was in the carrier, which was the furthest away from the bus. So I was running along the platform with all my stuff as fast as I could. At the last carrier there were the three conductors of the train waiting and basically being ready to go. While passing them I slowed down a bit and shouted "Hey, please wait a minute, I lost my wallet!", just turned around and ran, in the same moment the conductor was blowing the whistle!

I jumped onto the bus, which was luckily still waiting there, was just grabbing my wallet and ran out again to the train. When I came to the last door the conductors were standing there, laughing and putting their thumbs up. I jumped onto the train the conductor stepped in, closed the doors and the train left. I was so exhausted and my lungs were aching, totally out of breath I thanked the conductor for waiting and made my way through the whole train to my seat.

The train ride was also pretty eventless, but I was happy to be so lucky the whole morning. Soon we arrived to Stockholm and I walked from the train station to the office, where A. is working! I was so happy to see her again I just cant put it into words! A. was occupied working, so I sat in the lunch room and was reading my book and was waiting for her. I knew before, that she would not be able to finish earlier, but I took anyways the early connection to be there, when she was ready (and also because it was cheaper).

Anyways, when she finished, we walked down to T-Centralen and took the t-banen to Södermalm. There we went to a shop and bought some food and walked then down the street to the bus stop to catch the bus to A's place.

In the evening we were eating, drinking wine and then went out again for a stroll through Södermalm. This are is the area to go out for Stockholmers. There are few tourists and it is lovely! A really nice pub scene and street life. We were just strolling around the streets, enjoying the warm late summer evening. However, we soon went home, because we were both tired from the working week and traveling and so on!

I am so happy to be here and wish I would have gotten the chance to live here together with A.!!!

~M~