The Train Man

by Drew Dinan (United States of America)

A leap into the unknown Bosnia & Herzegovina

The train man opened the window and lit up a smoke. The frigid air rushed inside and made the cold carriage even colder. The heat hadn’t worked since I boarded in Sarajevo and now I was layered in every article of clothing I had brought. A foreign land passed by outside but I couldn’t see it. The ice crystals on the windows blocked my view. I awoke to a rising fever and wet clothes. My body ached. The train man heard me cough and glanced inside my compartment. He looked confused. I couldn’t understand what he was saying but I knew he was trying to say something. “I don’t understand,” I said, pulling out my ticket in case he was asking to see proof of my journey. “No!” He replied sternly, and pointed towards the forward train car. I looked to where he pointed and saw a different world. The forward train car was bright and warm. I could see people laughing and eating. I glanced around the carriage where I had been huddled for hours trying to keep warm. It was dark and grey and lonely. The only riders were the train man and myself. He pointed again and I understood. He was telling me to go up front, where it was warm. I scurried to pack my makeshift blanket of loose clothes and rushed to the forward car. The warmth hit me as I opened the door. Almost instantly, I began to feel better. Joy has an amazing healing power, just as dread will always make you sicker. I found a seat and stowed my pack. I could see outside now and the countryside was stunning. There was a large lake with craggy snow-covered peaks in the distance. I didn’t know exactly where we were but I gathered we were halfway between Sarajevo and Budapest. I took a deep breath and allowed myself to relax. Everything was going to be okay now. This was my first solo travel abroad and I was unprepared for the difficulties I would encounter. I struggled with the language barrier and always felt like I didn’t belong. I was constantly on edge. I was finally becoming more comfortable when I came down with the flu the night before my train was scheduled to depart. I sat in my hotel room coughing before shivering into the dark, rainy morning. The trolley broke down two miles from the train station and I had to run the rest of the way. I arrived in time but I was cold and wet and sick. I was ready to go home, but I still had two weeks left on my “adventure.” In my seat I admired the scenery a bit longer before walking to the bathroom in the rear of the train. As I entered the lavatory I noticed an unfamiliar sight beyond the door I had passed through just moments before. There was no longer a train man standing there. There was no train car at all. I watched the tracks speed by and I tried to make sense of things. Where did the carriage go? I didn’t recall hearing any announcements, nor did I notice the train stopping to detach the rail-car. But sure enough, it was gone. I set out on this adventure to leave behind a sheltered life that I had lived in for so long. I wanted to see the world, meet new people, and explore new cultures. On paper it sounded great. In practice, it was terrifying. I walked back to my seat and grabbed a beer out of my pack. Despite being sick I cracked it anyway. I took a deep swig and slid back in my chair. I raised my beer to the two men on my right who were also passing around a bottle. They smiled and toasted back. In that moment I knew that I had to open up and try harder to learn about the people and the places I would visit. It would make my travels so much more rewarding. The first step was overcoming my fears of traveling alone. Thankfully, I was able to leave them behind somewhere in Bosnia, in an abandoned train car.