by Cassie Naimie

(Based on real life experiences)

-ALWAYS HAVE A BUDDY: you may not know how important this is until you are stranded. Maybe you’ll run to the Glasgow Central train station post-concert only to discover that your train is actually leaving from Glasgow Queen St. Station. Then you and your friend will have 10mins to get there. But this will be MORE fun because you guys can turn it into a challenge and pretend you are a part of the Amazing Race. As the invincible duo you will dash through the streets yelling at every passerby asking if you are heading in the correct direction. Also, both of you will look ridiculous. This is why a buddy is good to have.

-KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING: the former tip may not be as essential as I have claimed as long as you know exactly where you need to be and when you need to be there. Whilst you may have made the last train leaving from Glasgow Queen St. Station, you may have failed to remember that the last connection in Edinburgh left at 11:19. So when you’re chilling on the train in Glasgow, super relieved and out-of-breath panting, but it’s 11:30, you should start to think about where it is you need to end up.

-HAVE A BACKUP PLAN: This one is always essential, every time. Perhaps, you’re on your way to Edinburgh at 11:50 because the train got delayed, but there is actually no train sitting in Edinburgh Waverley, so you will wind up there at 2am with no plans on a freezing cold Thursday night. While you may have friends with cars, they might all be asleep. And while you could go find a hostel, that costs money. So the best backup plan is always, find a 24-hour McDonalds. They are AMAZING. It will be warm, you can get food, and the entertainment is endless. Personal aside: I have learned more about life sitting on a stool in the 24-hr McDonalds window from 2am to 4:30am on a Thursday night in Edinburgh than I have in 20yrs of living.

-SOMETIMES IT IS THE JOURNEY AND NOT THE DESTINATION: while your night may have been hectic, or your plans fell through, or something did not go accordingly, enjoy every minute. The craziness, the laughs at your own stupidity, the frantic phone calls, the insanity of the situation; all will eventually be resolved. And by allowing yourself to just be in this new situation, you may be surprised at what you find. You could be back at the Edinburgh Waverley Station at 5am boarding the first train to Leuchars that morning when you meet another woman who missed her connection the night before as well. And as it turns out, she may be alum from your home university in America (because in this situation you are now a JYA in Scotland). It will be a shock that this series of circumstances led you to connect with someone from home that you may otherwise not have met. She may take a picture with you and send it to the president of your home university, ride the train with you to Leuchars, and pay for your taxi.

-BUT SOMETIMES IT IS THE DESTINATION: once you end up where you need to be, be grateful. Because if it took you extra time to get there and you have overcome travel challenges it should feel like the best place in the world to be. If you happened to pull an all-nighter to get home to St. Andrews, the 7:15am taxi ride will have the most gorgeous beginning of the sunrise and you can sleep all day (even if it means skipping classes, whoops). In the end, it will all be all right when you get there. So enjoy the journey and appreciate the destination.