On Sunday afternoon in Bratislava trains are full. Students home for the weekend are traveling back to school. The train wagons are packed, almost. My car--wagon is what they call it--seats 8 people facing one another four by four.
I’m sitting with 6 Slovak college kids. Two couples sit close together across from me blushed in young lover affections. Oblivious to the old man they are lost in their own world. It's curious how they are yoked together: arms entwined, sharing iPod ear plugs and music player. They are in touch in more ways than one: physically, emotionally, and electronically.
Outside the snow begins to fall and the cloudy sky is as white as the landscape. You really can’t tell where one begins and ends. Inside there a sea of color as backpacks, T-shirts, camping pads and winter coats share their respective red, yellow, blue, green, purple, orange and peach.
Reflecting on all this I've deceided that the next time I travel on Sunday afternoon I will be sensible. I'll spring the extra ten euro for a reserved seat in first class. But for now I sit with my laptop on my lap recording what I see. Funny, this all takes me back 35 years ago--the summer before my senior year of college when I was riding the train with a backpack, cuddled close to my own sweet adorable girlfriend, totally unaware of any old guy on the train.
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