On the go

Whether I like it or not, I travel a lot. Having spent two years and a bit constantly boarding planes, I temporarily switched to trains only to come back to more convenient planes again. 

I'm sitting at Wien Westbahnhof. Train stations and airports have something special to them. It might be the people rushing around. Or a feeling of excitement (or sleepiness, depending on the time of the day). With 2 hours to spare I thought I might share some bit and bobs.

What I love about train stations and airports is the feeling that you're going somewhere. I have my suitcase, my laptop bag and I can go wherever I want. I buy a cup of tea or coffee, open my laptop and do all the little things that need to be done. Check my ticket and an ID, then go to the gate or to the platform. Sit back, watch people. Watching people is great. Looking at their clothes, at what they're doing, at their companions. I'm not nosy person, neither do I like gossiping, so watching people in places such as train stations and airports gives me a chance to get a little glimpse into their lives without being harmful at all. And sometimes you can meet quite a character on your way.

I love the mixture of languages. Being in a place which is largely monolithic in terms of a language scares me if I don't know this particular language, because I like to understand those around me. In transit places, however, there is such a mixture of tongues, that it doesn't matter that I don't understand. I can just get immersed in all these sounds and phrases.

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In Brussels and Vienna (and probably other places too, but I haven't seen it myself yet) security people or the police tells the homeless to get out of the waiting areas. As much as I understand why they do that (at least to some extent), I find it rather unpleasant, especially when it's cold outside. These people have nowhere to go. Though I have to say such situations are usually handled very well, there is not shuffling or anything. Dignity retained?

People who think they're on their own drive me mad. I mean people who either are terribly loud (talking or playing music) or those who shush everyone for every possible reason. In either situation it's almost unbearable for me to get through this. Especially that the two types of people usually go together. If you encounter one, you get another as a bonus. 

Another thing is a lack of free wifi. Honestly, we live in a 21st century, there has to be wifi. I really don't know why train stations are often dead spots. It's not that I'm an addict. I can deal with no internet on a train (though it should be there!). But when I'm sitting here for hours, I need some entertainment. Or a chance to check an email and write a blog post. This is all that I need. And I don't want to pay for such a basic commodity.

The 2 hours have passed and I'm off to my next destination.