When the train doesn't come...

Today was my day off! Originally a few of the interns had planned on going to Oxford for the day, but the plans fell through last minute. I was intent on doing something! Most I my days off so far have been spent sleeping in and watching Netflix (something I can easily do at home). So I texted another volunteer from he organization Time for God. I am friends with her on facebook, and she will be one of the two girls I am traveling to Prague and Vienna with next month. I hadn't actually met her yet so I figured today was as good as any, and so we planned to meet in London. On the train over I sat behind some men from Ireland. I had no choice but to overhear their conversation which eventually turned to a dumb American woman who worked in this guys office who didn't know what the Netherlands were, or that Amsterdam wasn't a country. This sparked a conversation about many stupid Americans... Some who thought that Iceland wasn't real, others who didn't know where Ireland is. Oh and don't forget, ALL Americans are obsessed with the royal family! It was really funny to hear all the stereotypes of America coming out the mouths of people who had absolutely no idea an American was in fact sitting behind them.

 Once I met up with Bren, the other intern, we walked around London for a bit, saw Big Ben and London Bridge. We decided to head down to Baker Street and went through the Sherlock Holmes museum, and we also walked passed where the queen lives. As it turned out, Bren was heading to a party later in the evening that a few of the other Tie for God volunteers were throwing. She invited me to tag along since I too am a volunteer and I hadn't had the chance to meet anyone else yet. We got to their flat, which they shared between four girl volunteers, and soon there was about 20 people all from different countries, and different organizations in this tiny flat. We danced and played some games, and ate lots of sweets! It was so much fun meeting and hanging out with people me age! I haven't had the chance to go out and meet new people much since I've been here, besides the small group I work with at sublime.

Bren and I planned our trips home wisely. Not waiting until the last train just in case we miss it, and leaving the party early in order to make it in time. We took the underground for a while before Bren got off on her stop, and I continued on my own. At this point it was probably about 11:30pm. I got to my stop and went over to the national rail station to catch my train home. It said it was delayed due to someone being hit by a train at another station earlier in the day. So the group of us waited, and waited, with our train update on the screen continuing to say delayed. That is until the train totally disappeared off the screen entirely. One of the men standing waiting pushed the button for information. The operator told us the train would be there at 12:02am. Ok fine, so we waited some more. After 12:02 came and went, still no train came. We called again, and they gave us a new time to wait for, which of course, wasn't correct. After a third call, and about an hour in total waiting for this train that disappeared, the new operator said that the train didn't show up in her information... She said maybe we missed it... Because the 8 of us standing and waiting together could have possibly missed it... With the realization that the train wasn't coming, we all left the platform.

At this point in the night the tube stations were closed, and we were in a really dodgy part of London. As I walked to the nearby bus stop with one of the other people who had been waiting for the cancelled train, I could hear a fight taking place in an alley I passed through. A night club was next to the bus stop and there were crowds of drunk people yelling and bustling about. I studied the bus stop to try to find the night bus that would take me home, and nothing. I was in the wrong part of the city for my bus. I asked the young man who had walked over near me from the train station, and he had no idea either. We began discussing possible routes that could be beneficial for the two of us, and I told him I needed to get to Trafalgar Square. He said that might be a good place for him to find something as well. We studied the bus stop for a good bus to get there, and again, nothing. So I asked if we were both going to the same place, if we could split a cab. He was up for the idea, and I REALLY didn't want to be walking around this area alone and lost looking for a cab! So I was glad he was willing to be my travel buddy!

We introduced ourselves. His name was Richard, and he too had just moved to London about two months ago to study. After walking a short distance we passed an open cab. Thank the Lord Richard was with me because I couldn't have afforded the journey to Trafalgar Square alone. I didn't have much cash on me! After discussing our dilemma with our cabby, Richard came to the realization not even night buses would take him all the way home. But still he came with me in search of my night bus. And he kept me company all the way up until my bus picked me up. I know Richard was a stranger, but he was so considerate! It would have been so dangerous for me to walk alone in those areas. I decided to trust a stranger to better my chances of not getting in any bad situations and it worked!

I was so stressed and scared, not having a way to get home, and being alone in such a huge place! It was good to have a kind person give up his time to help me, with nothing to get in return! For all the moms reading this worried about stranger danger (and for my mom) I know Richard could have been a creep as well, but he wasn't, and I was safer with this one stranger than I would have been on my own! And I was still very cautious. Once I was on the bus taking me to Bromley I was able to relax a little bit, and no longer feel like I was on the verge of stress-tears while also trying to look confident and not lost. It was over an hour to get into Bromley on the bus, and then I had to switch buses in Bromley to get to the right stop. By the time I got home it was almost 3am. But I am just thankful I made it home -- and safely!  Richard on the other hand settled for finding a 24 hour McDonald's to hang out in until the morning train could take him home!

It was a scary adventure. Not one I want to do again!