Chunnel of Victory: 9 minutes

Hey all. My trip here yesterday could be called an adventure in almost making it. I decided to play it safe and get to Brussels extra early before my Eurostar to London. I would take the 8:06 a.m. train from Den Haag HS instead of the 9:06, which would have put me there just in time. I woke up at 6 a.m., planning to catch the first bus after seven. I hadn't rechecked the bus schedule, but I was pretty sure the bus from Wassenaar to Den Haag came at about 17 minutes and 47 minutes after. I ate breakfast, drank one last Nespresso, prayed with Adam and Casey, and headed out. I was only a few minutes off schedule, and still made it to the bus stop at 7:10.

The first 7 bus came at 7:01. I was nine minutes late. I wasn't too nervous, though. I caught the 7:31 and made it to Den Haag Centraal at 8:01, just in time to watch the train to Den Haag HS leave the station without me. I had to wait until 8:21 for the next train to leave, and rode the 3 short minutes to the next station. But it was okay, I'd catch the 9:06 as originally planned and things would just have to work smoothly in Brussels. I sat down to wait and pulled out my journal. Trains were moving in and out of my platform quickly. I'd gotten lost in journaling, so I almost missed my train. I was relieved when I got aboard. We started to move too quickly, though, and then I noticed I was on a 9:01, not a 9:06, and the B-city I was headed towards was not Brussels.

I just about threw up right there. The guy across from me noticed me looking green, and asked the question with his face. "I think I'm in the wrong train," I told him.

"Where are you trying to go?" he asked.

"Brussels Zuid," I said. He looked nervously toward the woman across from him.

She leaned forward. "It's okay," she said, "You have to change in Rotterdam. They all go the same direction."

"Thank you," I replied weakly. "I think I'm going to go wait downstairs." I went down toward the doors and plopped down on my suitcase, wringing my hands and worrying. Would this intercity train with all its stopping actually beat my train to Rotterdam. I had a five minute headstart, but I wasn't sure that was enough. I started praying hard. Lord, you know everything. You are in control, not me. You can make this train fly. I closed my eyes and pretended we were actually flying along. As the minutes ticked, I felt sick but just kept praying. This was my shot. If I didn't make it onto that train there was no way I could catch my Eurostar. I'd have to wait till evening and wouldn't make it until 10:30 p.m. Father, put some train person on the platform that knows which platform I have to get to--let there be enough time.

We pulled into Rotterdam with about 2 minutes till my train was supposed to get there. Two train men were on the platform almost right in front of my car. Platform four! one said, then I was off, dragging my bag on one wheel and then its belly, not caring.

I made it. Then I made it onto the Eurostar, where in my first class seat all the panic of getting there was forgotten. We got a nice lunch, two drink services, coffee, dessert, and a chocolate. I sat next to a nice Irish guy who has a family and three houses. It was a fantastic trip.

I arrived in London at the Waterloo station and took the tube to Picadilly Circus to pick up tourist information, a map, and exchange my money. London's underground metro really does look like a tube, so it's an apt name. All that settled, I went to my bed and breakfast in the Victoria neighborhood to check in.

The guy behind the desk was a foreign guy, who was not shy. I'd stood there all of half a minute when he started telling me how beautiful I am, how lucky they are to have me stay there. He loves Americans. "Here's your key. Room 36, gorgeous," he said.

"Oh, boy," I replied. This phrase is getting to be a thing with me. What is it with these guys? Luckily right then Nick Vu walked in and we headed away from Romeo. I got settled in and then we went to get theater tickets. We bought tickets for Wicked and then tried taking the tube to Hyde Park. We went to Green Park on accident, and suddenly ended up at Buckingham Palace. We finally made it to lovely Hyde Park, but in the rain Speakers Corner was empty. We went back to Victoria and grabbed a quick, yummy dinner and then went to the show.

Wicked, if you're not familiar, is an incredible musical. We'd never seen it before, so it was just thrilling. The performers were just amazing, and the show itself is a lot of fun. I had chills. And basically, I'm hooked. I think I'm going to eat less so that I can see more shows here. Afterwords we walked along the Thames from about the Tower Bridge to the Globe and got some dessert. When we finally got back to Elizabeth House (the B&B) I was zonked. It had been a long day.

Nick just left so now like Cosette I'm on my own. Get ready for a lot of goofy pictures of me doing stuff. I'll keep you posted. Cheerio!