Driving Home for Christmas

I'm driving home for Christmas
Oh, I can't wait to see those faces
I'm driving home for Christmas, yea
Well I'm moving down that line
And it's been so long
But I will be there
I sing this song
To pass the time away
Driving in my car
Driving home for Christmas
(Chris Rea -Driving Home for Christmas )

 

 

 

Heyho!

 

Now I'll write about my drive home to Germany!

And there is really something to tell! At least as I needed 24 hours until I were home! Starting from the Moment I left my house at half ten until I arrived exactly on the next day at the same time in Kiel!

The fun fact were: My bus started almost half an hour later than the Color Line in Oslo and I came to Kiel half an hour before she arrived there. I sat also 20 hours in the busses! ...

 

But back to my travel-story!

Everythink went fine on my way to Oslo. From here I would take the bus to Hamburg. 15 hours, from 14.30 until ca. 5.50 a.m. on the next day.

I were happy, I loved to sit for a Long time in a bus! I loved the journey in the busses  when we had classtrips!

But this journey should be very different!

 

I've been very early at the busstation in Oslo, because you have to be there at least half an hour earlier for the check in on the bus. I've been there a whole hour earlier, to find my bus and maybe buy a Snack for the trip.

In the busstation were a lot of digital bords with the departure times of the busses. From the time I've came to the busstation until the next four hours at least.

So I looked for my bus at 14.30, but there were only one bus on the bord - and this were not from the Company that I've booked!

 

I waited but after some time I got a Little bit scared. Where is my bus? There are so many busses, but no bus to Germany! At least no bus around that time from my Company!

I asked at the Information - but the person were annoyed and just said: "They didn't booked a place!". What should I do with this Information? And why were the person so annoyed? Okay, I also wouldnt like to work on Christmas, but I would never be so rude, if there is someone who Needs my help!

 

I went back to the bords, looked there and waited. At 14 o'clock I became scared. Where is my booked bus??? I checked the date and the time on my ticket the thousands time!

Everything right, 25th of december, 14.30!

But not on the bord. Just a normal bus, which were just driving in Oslo and not to Hamburg or other cities....

So I had to went to the Information again - again did I got the same Person from before - as rude as before.

The same answer then before. "De har ikke bestillt plassen." They didn't booked a place.

What did that mean for me, I asked! Is my bus not coming? Not yet ? Or later? Or absolutely not? I don't wanted to stay here in Oslo on Christmas - or take a later bus!

But the Person became annoyed and just said she couldn't help me and I should go and look at the bord.

Thanks.

Iit were 14:10.

20 Minutes until the bus would leave.

 

 20 minutes to find the bus, to check inn and so on.
 

 

Still no right bus on the bord!

 

 

The Hotline of the Company were not aviable - neither the emergency number! Yes, it were a Holiday, but at least the emergency number should have one Person to help!
I stood there, no bus, no working telephonenumber, no help from the servicepersons, and no one to asks.

five minutes before the departure time, I decided to look for the bus, which would just drive in Oslo - but maybe the Driver could help me? I asked one busdriver before but he were not able to help me - look at the bords - I hated this sentence! What did I the whole time??

 

If I get home on Christmas day
I won't need soft words to say
I'll miss you and I can stay a while
You'll see it in my eyes and when I smile

(Elvis Presley - If I get home on Christmas day)

 

I stood on the busstop and waited for the bus. I nearly cried. What should I do, if I wouln'd find my bus home? If he would be there, but I would miss it, because it were not on the bord?? I wanted to go home to Germany! And celebrate Christmas with my Family! At least the 26th!

 

The bus came and I asked the man who sood in front of me if I just could asks the driver, if this would be my right bus. I showed him my ticket and he read it. He said that he could asks the driver for me and so he did. It were the wrong bus - as expected. But the driver would also not know were my bus were.

This were the point were I almost began to cry. I don't wanted to cry! I'm not a child anymore, which cries in public!

 

But the young man saw how I felt and asks if I would be alone on my trip. In all other situations I would always say, I would have someone with me, at least in the bus, who knows what Person this would be?

But I were so tired of all this shit, that I said I would be alone and wanted to come home!

And cried. I hated myself in the Moment!

But the young man just stepped out of the bus, called his friend also out and said: " We help you  to find your bus!"

 

 Third try to find my bus. But now with unexpected help of two strangers! We went back into the bus / Coach Station and they looked at the bord and asked at the Narvesen shop for my bus. They still didn't knew something about that and so the two men said, we should go to the Information..

I told them how they'd been there to me, but they just went.So I followed them.

They went to the same Person I were two times before. But this time she were unexpected nice. Were it because of the two men which helped me?

The Person said on which platform the bus would be and wished me a nice tour. I felt like she would be kidding me!

 

And so we sprinted to the right platform  - and there were my bus!

It felt like a big and heavy Stone would fall from my breast and I finally were able to breath, because I saw myself spending this whole day in Oslo until I would maybe get one of the later busses from the line!

I gave my ticket to the driver and when he took my trolley, I said thank you to the two young man!

You really saved my Christmas!

Really!

 

I've been so afraid to miss my bus and the one of them who stood before me on the other bus just said, that he would help me!

Even if he had any appointments but he called his friend and they helped me!

After I thanked them and said goodbye, I went into the bus, sat down and wrote my mother. I kept here updated the whole time about my bus-adventure and she were really afraid if I would manage it to come home!

 

The second part of my journey home could start! I were in my bus and for the next at least 15 hours could nothing weird happen! Hopefully!

 

The Bustour were okay.

My mp3player had not enough batterypower for the  entire ride,so I had to take it off and had no Music. It were boring. And I were angry that I forgot to take some new batteries into my bag! But no, they were all in my trolley!

The road were through Sweden and Denmark and then with the ship to Puttgarden, on the Island Fehmarn in Germany (40 minutes on the boat)

 

I almost laughed, when I recognized that we were in Sweden  - the first I saw in Sweden were of course Ikea!!! :D

Typically Swedish! :D

But now I can say that I've been in Göteborg, Malmö, Helsingborg and the second time in Copenhagen!

... Even just in the bus and at night... But I've been there! And Helsingborg looked actually really nice, maybe I'll spent someday a Holiday there?

 

We came to Germany aroung 3 a.m. I tried to write one of my best friends because I finally had Internet and weren't depending on some wifi spots. I were happy that she were still awake. So I had someone to write with.

We arrived in Hamburgat 5.50 a.m. almost one and a half hour until my next bus til Kiel... I thought about to take one bus earlier but - suprise, suprise, the bus were not on the bord! And of course were the answer of the driver whose bus stood on the Platform where the Kielbus should arrive: "I can't help you. I don't care about the departure times of the other busses. Look at the bord!"

 

Is this the standart sentence that you learn when you become a busdriver? Look at the bord? :D

 

So I had to wait until my booked bus came - this bus stood on the bord! At least one Thing that worked!

I were tired, I didn't slept more than maybe half an hour or an hour in the other bus.... I wanted home and see my bed finally !

And so I finally arrived at home after almost 24 hours !

I'm still thankfull for the help of the two men on the bus/coachstation, even if they maybe forgot this! And I know they will never read my blog, but if they would do this:

 

Thank you, even if you  might think, it were nothing special to help me!

Thanks that you spent your time on Christmas for helping me to get my bus!

And I know you don't think this, but you saved my Christmas! I nearly gave up, when I stood at the bus and recognized the driver couldn't help me to find my bus!

 

So, this was my own Christmas wonder and the Story of my journey home on Christmas!

Thank you for reading this Long post - the german will follow later! :)
I hope you liked the... drawings - here are the Songs whose lyrics I'd posted and I hope you like this post, I would be very happy if you leave a comment! :)

 

Chris Rea - Driving Home for Christmas

 

Elvis Presley - If I get Home On Christmas Day

Mange hilsen og vi ses,

 

~ Famechen ~