NS

It’s a slippery walk to reach the train station, frost on the ground is the message from Piet, our local weatherman. I check the train app again to take away my doubts on the Dutch train services, no pain yet. It seems that the train station keeper heard the same news and spend all his stock of sand mixed with salt on the pavement. Exactly at 9.22 am the train arrives and I wonder if I packed all for the trip, this is always in the back of my mind every business travel again. 9.23 am The train starts to roll and there it is, I forgot my headphones. My noise counseling Bose headphones, traveling with me for the last 8 years and made more air miles that I never thought of when I started this job. Lucky enough there is always a backup plan in my bag, this becomes a second nature to have a plan B and even C. One item does not have it, my passport, so that is always protected with my mind.
Station Heerenveen two elder gray headed people are seated next to me. Looks like world travelers with two worn out suitcases and small backpacks. Only the way they take place gives me already wondering how do they do it all around the world. I miss the handy way of handling the suitcases, I miss the eager look where is enough place, I miss the body language who tells I’m under control and leave me. Also the strategic window seating and placement of the backpacks at the aisle while themselves gazing out of the window to see if the bringers are still there. John & Anne are traveling to India the first time in their live is the first what I hear from them. And they rattling on, so much information that a book can be filled before we reaching Zwolle. John doesn’t want to travel only Anne want to and it is really the first time they decided to take an airplane to see a little more of the world. Anne tells that they never went abroad in the last 45 years because there is always a reason. Talking we almost reach Lelystad train station and the unthinkable is happening, the train will not go to Schiphol Airport because a malfunction on the track the train-master is announcing. Panic in eyes of Anne and John, my routine is jumping in and I call a taxi service to have a ride to Schiphol. I ask the driver to pick me up at the other side of the station than the taxi-stand. Anne & John are still in a small shock and circling in the same question how can we reach the Airport. When the train stops, I ask the both to follow me. I plough myself through a huge amount of people with two suitcase my own gear and the unfortunately couple at my tail. John is talking that we walk to the wrong side of the station because the taxi-stand is at the other side. Anne is telling her husband, just follow the Gosse he seems to know what he is doing. In the following 3 minutes a big black Mercedes Taxi is stopping, asks Gosse. I wink with my head, he is opening the back door and together we put the luggage in the car. I push John & Anne in the car take my seat and we driving off, in a glimpse I see around a small group of people coming out of the door. They recognized the taxi and wanted the same. Gul the Turkish driver smiles and asks if I did it before on this way. No I never did it like this, only have thought about once. For 166 euro’s we are with 45 minutes delay at Schiphol, Gul gets a 50 euro extra from Anne and I deliver them to the travel guide of their group.
Hulde Gosse