I like trains. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I like trains. It doesn't matter if it's the Ghan from Alice Springs to Adelaide in Australia, the midnight train to Moscow in Russia or the simple train to the airport here in the Netherlands, I just enjoy the ride. And yes, I'll admit it, like any other Dutch train traveller, I've spent quite a lot of time complaining about the insane ticket prices and delayed trains, but deep in my heart I can't be mad at trains. Riding a train is like taking a time-out and as my life became crazier and crazier over the past year the train became the one place where I could relax and think instead of worry. Now I already think too much as is (yay for giftedness!) and when I'm on a train, my brain likes to go a little crazy with excitement. It's the same in every country, but easiest to illustrate by taking you on a virtual trip I took many times in 2016, from Rotterdam in the west of the Netherlands to Venlo in the south!

I get 2,5 hours to myself, on a train. I don't have to do anything, just stare out of the windows, maybe read a book. I'll be there in no time. Seriously, trains are great. They're fast and shiny and so relazing. I like this. No, I love this.

Dear Dutch train gods, please don't let this train be late. Please don't let this train get stuck behind a cargo train. Please don't let me miss my connecting train, I don't want to be stuck in Dordrecht for half an hour. I can't handle that stuff. I have to catch that train at... when did it leave again? And from which platform? Why do I always forget important stuff like this when I go to the south?

Yeah okay, most of it is flat green meadows with some water here and there, but have you ever seen the sun rise over Hollandsch Diep while crossing the Moerdijkbrug by train? It's so freaking beautiful. This more than makes up for having to wake up before 7 am.



So everyone got off the train in Eindhoven. And now I'm all alone in this part of the train. Like fifty seats, all empty except for mine... This train does go to Venlo, right? What if it just goes to one of those places where they keep the trains, like a train garage thing to clean it or something, while I'm still here? No, this has to be the right train. Maybe people just don't go to the south in the morning?

I've been on this train since forever. I've been on this seat since forever. And I'm still not there yet. I guess I'm officially in the province of Limburg though. I'm not exactly sure, but the names of these places along the tracks do sound a bit southernish.

I don't remember a time before this train. I am dead from the waist down. I have no idea how long I'm still going to be here. Probably for all eternity. Also, I'm hungry and I only have one cookie left. If I eat it now I won't have anything to eat on my way home... I'm eating it anyway before I lose my mind.
Seriously? No one ever gets off in Blerick, no one ever gets on. I can freaking see Venlo on the other side of the river, I can almost touch it and still we're making a stop here? Why?! Why wait for five minutes in freaking Blerick?! If I go running down the train tracks right now I'll beat the train to the station, no problem. Can we go now? We've been here for ages waiting at a deserted station! Please just bring me to Venlo now before my butt falls off from sitting on these horrible seats!
Trains are awesome though. You get to see so many cool things, you don't have to do anything, just sit back and relax and before you know it you're literally on the other side of the country. Trains are the best.

And then I'd finally be in Venlo and I'd forget all about how much my butt hurt, how bored I'd been and how pointless a stop in Blerick is. That's how it's always been with me and trains: I love them, hate them, then love them again. I'll complain about them in public all day, but deep down inside I will always love travelling by train. I honestly can't wait for my next train trip, to Belgium at the end of this month!