Catching A Private Bus At Midnight. On My Own.

It was 11:00p.m and it had been dark for the last five hours. I had no data on my phone, there was no Wi-Fi, there was no one around to ask for directions. I was on my own.

I obviously didn’t learn my lesson.

I had been in Amsterdam with a group of friends, we’d met for drinks and chats – it was a Tuesday so no one planned to stay out late – it was a lovely relaxing time. So relaxing, I forgot that I hadn’t yet topped up my phone with data.

I had to get up at 4:00a.m the following day for work, so I had planned to say goodbye around 8:00p.m and start my homebound journey. But, the night was so enjoyable I stayed until 9:00p.m.

One of my friends was catching one of the same trains as me, but from there I was on my own. I was surprisingly confident. Having a thin, rectangular camera on low battery in my pocket was becoming second nature.

InThe Netherlands, trains are the easiest mode of transport – there is always one going in the direction you want.

So I said goodbye to my data-filled friend and went to catch a train. I jumped on the first one I saw and went “hmmm.” It didn’t look right.

It was the same train I caught into Amsterdam, so it was going in the wrong direction.

I got off and went to the other side of the platform. There was another train and it was going in the direction I wanted. Too easy.

I got off at my stop and found my bus stop. I got off there only three hours ago, so all I had to do was catch the same bus going in the opposite direction.

The only problem – there wasn’t one.

I looked over the schedule several times and couldn’t believe the bus I needed wasn’t going to come.

I went to my original bus stop and thought I would ride it till the end of the line, and then catch the bus going back to my home.

The only problem – my bus wasn’t coming. Turns out the bus I caught into Amsterdam is a day time only bus. At 9:30p.m, it wasn’t coming.

I started to panic. I didn’t know the area I was in, my phone was useless – I couldn’t call anyone or google maps anything.

I took a deep breath.

I took another one.

This is The Netherlands. There will be a way home.

I went back to the train station and saw there was a train going to Centraal Station in five minutes.

That was good, I could catch any train from there. And I knew an alternative way home which went through the airport. I would be fine.

Deep breath.

Another one.

I caught the train. 9:45pm. I had a 4:00a.m start tomorrow.

Deep breath.

Another one.

I rode the train and arrived around 10:00p.m. This was okay.

I saw the next train that was going to the airport was also going to my local train station. Perfect.

It was leaving the station at 10:30pm. I had a 4:00a.m start.

Deep breath.

Another one.

I waited at the platform. I was pretty hungry at this point, I was also exhausted, I also had very little money in my account.

Deep breath.

Another one.

The train arrived and as I rode the hour to my local station I tried not to fall asleep. I would close my eyes and tell myself I was just blinking really, really, slowly.

I got off at my station and knew there was a bus that would drop me right outside my house. Too easy.

I strolled on up towards to the bridge.

I didn’t see a bus stop.

I’ve lived here for three weeks and never walked around in the dark. I was a little disoriented.

I knew I could walk back the way I came and take the chance with my exhausted body to see if the bus stop was behind me. But I didn’t want to add on any unnecessary walking time. I walked forwards and decided I would stop at the next bus stop.

So I walked.

I could see a gas station ahead of me and knew the bus stop was near there.

As I walked through the gas station and stayed close to the road – so I don’t miss the bus – a bus passed. And not on the road. I turn and see a bus-only lane 100m from the road. I started walking towards it. Another bus passed.

Deep breath.

Another one.

There was no longer a footpath. There was a bus lane, a bike path, and a strip of grass with a few trees. I opted for the grass.

Walking on the grass is not that common in The Netherlands and where I was walking was clearly for decorative purposes.

I saw a bus coming up behind me, it’s my bus. I couldn’t see how far away I was from the bus stop, it seemed so much closer when I was sitting in the warm comfort of the moving indoors.

It passed me.

I continued walking and stumbling in the grass. Where on earth was this bus stop? Did I pass it?

Again, I saw my bus and I started to jog but I stumbled. The bus passed.

Another bus was only moments behind. It wasn’t my bus and the inside was dark, I could only see the driver.

He pulled over next me. He gestured towards the bus stop, I pointed to the bus stop, he gave me a thumbs up. I was confused. I stood there.

He opened the doors for me.

I got on.

“Where are you going?” He asked.

In Dutch at first but quickly switched to English when I looked confused.

I told him the bus stop I wanted and he said “okay.”

He drove me all the way, free of charge.

All this driver saw was a woman walking in the wrong area looking stressed and tired. And on the inside, that’s exactly how I felt.

I thanked him a lot and he let me know he started work at 6:00a.m tomorrow.

I didn’t know what to say to that. But I thought, if like can do it then I can do it.

And I went inside to get some sleep.

Have you ever been stranded in a place you didn’t know?