Travel Confession: I Convinced an Old Woman and a Nun to Jump From a Moving Train

By Mary Kosearas, Staff Writer

It was the only time in my life I was confident that jumping out of a moving train was my best option.

The lights of the last town had faded behind a little foothill. I stood on a noisy, open-air platform between train cars and steadied two Greek women with one hand. I was leaving that rushing train at any cost, and they were coming with me.

This was my first international trip on my own, and I couldn't start my wanderings without saying hello to my family in Greece. My first stop was a local monastery where I visited my aunt, Sister G, a newly-minted Greek Orthodox nun. I had planned to stay briefly and be on my way. I never imagined my aunt would invite herself to join me as a guide.

What could I say? A refusal would seem impolite, so I accepted even though her presence threatened to stunt the wild adventure of self-discovery I was chasing that November.

However, it wasn't long before I felt grateful for her company, particularly on that clanking, cramped, seemingly endless four-hour train ride from Karditsa to Thebes.

Our car was packed so tightly, I felt breathing on the back of my neck. I wanted to turn around to locate the source of the slurping, coughing, tired sighs from somewhere behind me, but my massive bags kept me in place. A pungent aroma wafted through the air, an exotic, repellent mingling of piss, body odor and cigarette smoke.

With every jolt, the passengers swayed back and forth in unison. My aunt sat patiently next to me, but her gentle assurances that "God will protect us" only made me envious of her admirable calm. Across from us, an equally serene old man wound his worry beads around his finger like helicopter blades around a propeller. Around and around those beads went, putting me in a sort of trance as the oversold, wreck of a machine powered through the night.

I only had two thoughts swirling in my mind.

One: Are those beads going to hurt as bad as I think they will when they fly off his old, nubby finger and hit me in the face?

Two: What on earth were we going to do when we missed our stop?

I remained mesmerized until my aunt tapped me on the shoulder and firmly whispered, "Hurry. It's time to get off." As she quickly shuffled to the back of the train car with her minimal belongings, my clunky American body bulldozed through innocent women and children and never stopped to look back at the wreckage.

I finally emerged onto the open-air platform between the train cars, and immediately eyed the flimsy chain ropes with trepidation. A sturdy old woman had gotten there before us. Clearly a seasoned traveler, clutching one little bag, she stared straight ahead without once glancing in our direction.

As we pulled into the station for Thebes, the train gradually braked. I intensely stared at the approaching platform, willing it closer, ever closer, eager for that moment to arrive when we could finally get off. I picked up my bags and prepared to step onto solid, stationary ground.

That's when the train began to pick up speed.

Now, it’s true I had embarked on this journey with the hope of enjoying new experiences, but a rolling stop was not something I was willing to accept. I thought of my aunt’s composed assurance and decided to follow her example.

For about 20 seconds. Then, I lost it.

I elbowed my aunt and that old woman aside as I pushed to edge of the platform. After assessing the speed of our train and the distance to the ground, I announced, "I am getting off here. I'll hop off first and help you both down."

To my surprise, the old woman nodded eagerly, and while my aunt didn't show any enthusiasm for the strategy, she also didn't object. Seriously? That floored me. Even I knew this idea was kind of insane. A part of me couldn't believe these women, with all of their wisdom and experience, were okay with this.

I leaned over to check the ground for large rocks embedded within the passing landscape, when I noticed a train attendant curiously watching from inside the car. I expected him to say something, but, after a second, he turned away indifferently and handed a Coke to a waiting passenger.

In a low, crazed mumble I whispered words of encouragement to myself.

"Mary, you came to Greece for adventure. You came to Greece to feel alive. You can do this."

Heart racing, I looked up in one last moment of doubt, and saw something flickering, no more than five minutes away. The train's shanty lights already had started to cast a shadow on the waiting platform of the next stop.

I looked back at my aunt, who stood there with this suspicious smirk.

After we came to a screeching halt, mundane reality intruded. Sister G. pulled out her cell phone, called our ride and directed the driver to meet us at the stop after Thebes. As soon as I was safe on terra firma, I assessed my reaction. That was a humbling moment. I realized that I was so accustomed to everything back home running on a certain schedule, to following the rules that maintained the illusion of order, I was ready to jump all because one tired train conductor had improvised a departure from the game plan. My only solace was that Sister G, was prepared to join the folly, even though she knew the next station was around the bend.

I'd come to Greece to throw myself into life, and ended up nearly throwing myself off a racing train. But now I realize there are times when you need to jump, just as there are other moments when you must wait to see what life is about to provide. Knowing whether to react or to refrain probably is the mark of genuine wisdom.

I'm working on it.

Destination Dossier
Destination: Central Greece
Month: November. Cold, clear and verdant.
Time Spent: One month
How I Got Around: Train, bus, and car (I do not recommend driving). Only take a taxi when necessary. The bus system is usually best for daytime trips. Travel by train for night trips.
Best Food: Calamari fresh from the Mediterranean.
Memorable Moment: Drinking wine with my aunts and a local restaurant owner in his tiny apartment above his restaurant before it opened for dinner.
Best Souvenir: An "Evil Eye" necklace to repulse demonic spirits. Great token of Greek superstition.

Travel Confession: I Convinced an Old Woman and a Nun to Jump From a Moving Train originally published on Travels.com

Tell us: Have you ever missed your stop on a train in a foreign country? Ever considered jumping?

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Photo credits: Station courtesy of tm-tm, train courtesy of p0psicle