Planes, trains and automobiles. My husband and I have experienced our fair share of traveling by planes and by automobiles. Our first experience traveling on trains, though, came last summer when we traveled across Scotland and England. It was memorable. Memorable, though, in the sense that it created some memories we’d like to forget.

Because we knew it would provide us with the means to move around and to experience more of Scotland and England, taking the train from Edinburgh to York, from York to Bath and from Bath to London was an easy choice to make.

Novices, we arrived early at the station in Edinburgh to allow ourselves time to get acclimated with the process of this mode of travel. We observed the scheduled trains arriving and departing, as well as the passengers and their practices of anticipating, approaching and boarding the trains.

By the time our train arrived in the station, we felt prepared to execute the process ourselves. The train stopped, and we boarded and secured our luggage in the designated spot at the end of the car. Then, the influx of additional passengers still boarding pushed us down the aisle further away from our luggage than we felt comfortable.

In response to the gridlock preventing us from returning down the aisle, we hatched this not-so-brilliant plan to simply jump off the end of the car, walk the length of the car outside on the sidewalk, and then reenter near our suitcases. A perfectly feasible plan had the train not immediately closed its doors the moment we stepped off.

A recording instructing those on the sidewalk to step away from the car resounded throughout the station. It was preparing to depart.

Our luggage, secured on the train, was on its way to York, and we were not. We were on the outside, behind closed doors, looking in. Inside, a young couple seemed to be frantically attempting to communicate with us. Wait! They were pointing. Pointing! Suddenly, my ears opened to the command of someone shouting.

“Push the button!” cried a voice on the platform.

Button? What button?

There, on the side of the train was a small, circular shape slightly larger than a quarter outlined in a band of yellow. In the center, two arrows pointed outward in opposite directions. Without further hesitation, we pressed the button and the doors to the train obediently slid open.

My husband and I quickly jumped on. The couple inside smiled slightly and shook their heads from side to side. We offered our gratitude.

After we settled down, we were able to focus on the reasons why we’d chosen to take the train: we viewed a sampling of the countryside, we caught up on a little sleep.

Later that week, between York and Bath and Bath and London, we spent time on the train reflecting upon our previous stops and time anticipating our upcoming destinations. What will we see? What will we like? What kinds of interesting people will we encounter? Will the destination meet our expectations? Exceed them?

And finally, will our luggage be traveling on to the next stop without us? With the wisdom we garnered from this experience, hopefully not.

(Note: Marjorie Appelman is an English, communications and journalism teacher at Mason County High School and co-founder of the travel blog, Tales from the Trip, which is also on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. She can be reached at [email protected].)

The train station in York, England.
https://maysville-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_York-1.jpgThe train station in York, England.

The Great Western Railway in Bath, England.
https://maysville-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_nosetonose-1.jpgThe Great Western Railway in Bath, England.

The platform in York, England.
https://maysville-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_platform-1.jpgThe platform in York, England.

Outside the station in York, England, a sign points visitors to their prospective destinations.
https://maysville-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_outside-1.jpgOutside the station in York, England, a sign points visitors to their prospective destinations.

Paddington Station, London.
https://maysville-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_paddington-1.jpgPaddington Station, London.

Marjorie Appelman