She was the last one to get on the train, and when she finally found herself inside, she quickly noticed that nearly all the seats were taken. Most passengers friendly chatted with each other, talking about their lives and everything under the sun. But there were also those who had withdrawn into themselves, shedding silent tears over their personal sorrows. At the station, it was easy to overlook them amid the laughter and happy faces, but here, inside a train heading towards unknown grounds they could no longer hide.
The woman spotted a free seat and sat down. The teenage girl next to her didn’t even look up from the window, her eyes fixed to the landscape moving past as the train accelerated. With colorful clothes surrounding her lean shape and a wide sun hat on top of her head, she very much resembled a young tourist.
“Hello!” With a bright smile, she suddenly turned to the woman. “Have you traveled much in your life?”
The woman was taken aback by the teenager’s curiosity. She hadn’t expected a conversation. “I’ve been to Italy a few times,” she replied hesitantly.
“I’ve been there too. It’s not bad, but nothing special, really. Spain, Italy, Greece—such well-known tourist spots. Nearly everyone’s been there at some point. I was only nineteen when I had already crossed them off my bucket list. The United States and Mexico were much more interesting, though. You know, all the big cities—Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Guadalajara, Puebla, Monterrey. The food was great, and the sightseeing was amazing!”
The woman nodded and smiled politely, unsure of what to say.
“But most people don’t travel that far. Their whole lives they stay at home, and the doormat in front of their apartment is all they ever see of the world. It’s such a sad and boring life, and I’m so happy to have seen so many amazing places and to have learned so many languages. I’m fluent in French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic. I’ve also been to Egypt, Djibouti, and Yemen. And, of course, to Libya and Morocco as well. It would’ve been a pity to leave those out.”
“Those must have been wonderful experiences,” the woman interjected, trying to prevent the conversation from turning into a monologue.
“Oh, yes! You get to know so many different people and cultures. Japan and Korea were really interesting in that regard. Their society functions completely differently from ours. They eat everything with sticks. Can you imagine? No forks, no spoons, just sticks!”
Trying to maintain an interested expression, the woman smiled, but she couldn’t stop her gaze from wandering toward the window.
The landscape had changed to green valleys and grasslands stretching as far as the eye could see, interrupted only by occasional grey stones protruding from the ground. At first, the rocks passing by the window were just a blur, the cracks and spots on their surface blending into colors and shadows. But they soon became clearer as the train began to slow down and finally came to a screeching halt.
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“In India, they have so many different spices! You should’ve seen it! So many colors, so many aromas and scents—it made me dizzy! Oh, are we here already?”
“It seems we’ve made it to the first stop,” the woman replied, trying to hide her relief.
“The first one? Did you get more than one ticket?” the tourist asked, confused.
“Yes, I did. You only got one?” The woman took a pack of papers out of her pocket as if for proof. Immediately, she could see disappointment, sadness, and jealousy in the girl’s eyes.
“That seems nice,” the girl replied, a wistful expression crossing her face. “I guess I’ve traveled enough already.”
“More tickets aren’t necessarily better,” the woman said, glancing at one of the other passengers dressed in a dark hoodie. But her attempt to comfort the tourist was met only with a sad smile.
“Well, I guess this stop is destined for me, then” the tourist concluded, her voice suddenly filled with hope and joyful anticipation.
For a moment, the woman felt envious of the girl. It was a gift to see a sparkling light in every situation—a trait many of the girl´s friends had deeply valued about her..
The train doors opened, letting in a cool, salty breeze. The overgrown path before them led up a grassy hill and ended at a small pavilion. From down here, they couldn’t see what lay beyond or what wonders might be admired from the benches under the wooden roof. All they could see was a flawlessly blue sky merging with the last blades of grass on top of the hill. It seemed more like a picture-perfect movie scene than reality.
A few passengers decided to scout the area, and the small group set out for the pavilion, since there didn’t seem to be much else in this wasteness of grass and hills. The trail was curvy but surprisingly even, making it easy to reach the overlook. It was beautiful.
Just steps behind the pavilion, the green meadow turned into cliffs that fell straight down into the ice-blue sea, stretching out to meet the horizon on the other side of the world.
As soon as the passengers saw the scenery, they fell silent, simply observing the view. A few quiet sounds of amazement drifted through the group, but they were mostly drowned by the sound of waves crashing against the rocks below.
“This is as beautiful as Wales, Cornwall, and Iceland all together!” the tourist breathed in awe. “So beautiful…”
Slowly, the voices of the other guests returned as everyone marveled at the sight.
“Haven’t I told you? It’s as if it were made for me.” An overly happy grin appeared on her face. “I want to stay here. There couldn’t be a better place for me, even if I had more tickets.”
“I’m happy you’ve found your place,” the woman smiled back. “I’ll be leaving, though. This just isn’t for me.”
“In that case, I wish you the best of luck on your travels.”
“Thank you,” the woman replied, glancing at the scenery one last time before turning to head back to the train.
A few steps away, she stopped to look back. The tourist stood silhouetted against the red sunset, now fully covering the sky.
It looked like paradise, but appearances were deceptive. No matter how beautiful the scenery, spending an eternity alone on some cliffs would eventually turn into a hell for anyone. But that was something the tourist couldn’t understand yet.
She had spent her life leaping from one place to another, chasing novelty an excitement, always meeting strangers only to never see them again.
For this dream come true, she had left her family, cut off friends, and buried any hope of a meaningful relationship. She had collected countless memories and once-in-a-lifetime moments but left behind broken hearts. The loneliness and regret she had been running from would now have time to catch up and make her suffer for an eternity.