Averting Major Disasters

This morning I averted what could have been a major disaster.  Last night I set the alarm on my phone for 7:00 am and took a shower.  About an hour before I was planning to get up and get ready, my roommate Michelle was up and moving around which woke me up briefly.  We had the option of walking to the train station or riding the bus.  To walk there, you had to get up at the crack of dawn.  No thanks. 

The next thing I knew, I randomly woke up and checked the cell phone's clock.  It said 8:12 am.  I stared at it incredulously for a good 5 seconds, trying to think of what time we were supposed to be at the train station.  Last night at our group meeting, the teachers said over and over, "DON'T  MISS THE TRAIN TO BRUSSELS!!!!!!"  Because if that happened, you would miss the Eurostar train to London. (AKA you are S.O.L.)

All I could remember was our study abroad coordinator saying you could leave the guesthouse (our dorm) NO LATER than 8:15 because it was important to get to Maastricht's train station by 8:45.  I was so glad I had packed my backpack the night before and laid my clothes out as well. You have never seen a person exit faster from a building. 

When I hauled out of the UM guesthouse, there was a taxi-looking thing out front.  I hurridly asked the driver if he could go to the train station.  After what seemed like years, he replied, " Ten or twelve euros."  I think he sensed my urgency and was trying to take advantage of the situation.  Luckily (or unluckily, as I felt at the moment) I had no Euros on me, so I started sprinting to the St. Analaan bus stop.  This was an awkward sight because I had a large backpack on, no makeup, crazy hair/eyes, and flip flops.  Thank goodness I have some remnant of cardiovascular fitness because I caught that fateful route 5 bus. 

It was 8:20 ish by the driver's clock.  The train was probably leaving at 8:45.  The driver said it would be about 10 minutes to the station.  I was literally racing the clock.  Every stop we made was equivalent to bamboo shoots under my nails.  While I was on the bus, my already overactive imagination was on overdrive.  'If the train was gone, what was I supposed to do in Maastricht while everyone was in London? Where would I eat? Could I get around by myself? Maybe I'll take the EU rail somewhere else. But I think they said we can't travel alone?'

I swear that ten minute ride took an hour.  When I got to the train station, I checked the monitor and found I should be leaving from platform 4B.  Debating on whether or not to run there, I decided on the most logical choice given I was late.  As Forrest Gump would say, "I. WAS. RUNNING!"

When I saw everyone still standing around on the platform, I had never been so thankful! I even had time to spare-the train wasn't leaving until 9:07. 

(I'm still not sure why I didn't wake up on time.  The only problem I could think of was my cell phone alarm wasn't loud enough.)