Spontaneous trips and train station lock-ins during Sophomore year

Sophomore year of college and I was heading to Heidelberg, West Germany, with 7 other students for 2 semesters. Since I didn’t know any of them, the layover in Chicago gave us a chance to get to know each other. Our classes were M-F, giving us 3 day weekends to travel. Someone would say, "I'm going to such and such," and invite others to join them.

I had to renew my passport, so one Friday I headed to Basel, Switzerland, to the consulate and got a Z passport, which ended up being a big pain as my Eurail pass was under the expired passport, so I had to carry both passports. In 1980, we had been told our passport was worth $10,000.00. That seemed like such a big responsibility for a 20-year-old to not lose or have stolen.

In between semesters we had a full week to travel. A group of us headed north to Copenhagen and spent Easter Sunday there. While traveling back south, someone said, “Did you know Ireland is now on Eurail?” “Oh, I want to go.” “Tami, do you really want to go?”

Tami and I got off in Cologne to head to Paris where, when we got to the correct train station, we saw the last train to the coast pulling out. It was 10:00 at night, no place to stay, but if you had a ticket for early in the morning, you could spend the night in the waiting room. Doors locked, Tami and I spent the night with what sounded like the tuberculosis ward. Early in the morning, the train police (Paris gendarmes maybe?) unlocked the waiting room door, had a drug-sniffing dog check us all out, and allowed us to go to the train platforms.

We caught the train to the coast, then caught the overnight ferry to Ireland. Ferry was free with Eurail, however, first class accommodations they were not. Our bunk room was down with the engines, and the only thing between us and the English Channel was the thickness of the hull. I remember two things about being in Ireland: how green it was and the sheer terror of bending over backwards, seeing the ground far below, and managing to kiss the Blarney Stone.

Those 2 semesters cemented my love of travel. Seeing new places, experiencing the culture, learning the history of a place and its people continue 46 years later. I proudly wear my museum nerd pin. Learning by experience is wonderful!