People I’ve Been Meeting on the Trains

Before I started my Medium journey, I was working for a digital marketing agency company as a content writer & account executive, a job where I supposed to travel to meet clients to make sure our business running well. Sometimes I just travel to meet my Tinder date or went to a tiny hostel and enjoying the vibes of their small bar on the weekend. I usually travel by trains, I feel better on them. My favorite thing is, pick a seat. It’s fun to guess who’s gonna sit next to me.

I loved to hear their stories, it gave me lessons. And I don’t know why I feel less lonely, more hopeful, and safe in the knowledge that it never really could be. Each trip is memorable enough to leave an impression on the heart and to miss once it’s over. If I’m not lucky enough, then I usually ended up sitting alone the whole trip.

I’ve never traveled abroad, so I was excited if I got the chance to sit next to a tourist. I’ll be the one who starts the conversation and ask questions. I knew I was annoying but who cares? We never mean to see each other again! I admit it, not all passengers are friendly and open to talk with strangers and I respect their boundaries. Once I feel it can’t happen, I’ll stop and play some music on Spotify.

But for the rest, I enjoyed being on the trains with strangers. I’ve met a lot of people who bring different energies and experiences for me. And it has so much fun.

* * *

Middle-aged couple

It happened many times, I’ve met love birds on the trains. They were traveling around Asia before deciding to get married. They have been together for almost 20 years or more but still, they need witnesses to know are they want to be together or not for the rest of their life. And the best experience of meeting a middle-aged couple on the trains was with Luca and Rosa, they are Italian.

I was sitting next to Luca, it’s my way back home after spending the weekend with my Tinder date. I was in the bad hangover that morning so I slept in half away on the trip. Then I woke up, he smiled at me. I felt a bit awkward but I said:

“Hey, how are you?”

He said he’s good and having fun traveling my country whole months. He gave me a roller of essential oil, smelled like peppermint or whatever and he said, it could help me to feel better. I said I’m fine, just a little hangover and I’ve got my pills. He laughed and said:

“The youth energy, I could recover myself that fast from alcohol when I was young. But now, a glass of wine after dinner is pretty enough.”

I smiled at him and asked did he traveled alone this whole time, and he said not, he traveled with his girlfriend Rosa, she’s sitting on the back seat of us. And I felt awkward, again. I turned my head to the back and said Hi to Rosa, she’s beautiful.

“We can switch the seat”

But they are said no, they enjoyed being apart during the trip. That’s traveling meant to be.

“We try to find ourselves, we can’t deny when we were with our lover, we gonna try to be the best version of ourselves not to be who we are.”

One night stand material

One is just the one-night stand, one is my ex-boyfriend. It happened to me twice. I was hooking up with guys I’ve met on the trains. It simply happened like what’s your name? where are you going to stay? and how about getting drinks tonight?

I was with my laptop, busy preparing my presentation material for the after-a lunch meeting. The train was quite empty, it’s good I can easily focus on my work. I thought the train was ready to leave and nobody will get in anymore. I didn’t see someone coming but he suddenly sits next to me, busy with his big backpack. He inhales, exhales, and smiles at me. I said Hi.

“I was visited places, museum, and tourist kinds of stuff”
“And the bar, get drunk and ended up visited a girl from Tinder, right?”
“Whoa that’s so intriguing” — he laughed.

We fall into conversation, we set the world to rights, his perspective was blown my mind and I agreed to stay with him this night. He was booked the hostel for us, and it’s not too far from my meeting place so, I can save up for beers that night.

“Travel means being happy with a little bit of everything. It’s thrilling and heartbreak, it’s exciting and scary, it’s every emotion wrapped up into a sea of memories and experiences that you wouldn’t trade for the world.” — he said.

We both drank, we had great sex and fall asleep. I left for good.

Perfect Stranger

A person who completely unknown, we drive a silent trip. We never knew each other even for a bit. Beware of every possibility, we might be never seeing each other again or meet somewhere and become a lover.

* * *