Annika Walter

Happy like she hasn't been before for a long time, Julia enters the dining car for having lunch. Only 90 more minutes and the train will arrive at Cologne main station where her boyfriend Andreas will be waiting for her. She hasn't seen him for a whole year. What a difficult time it has been without him!

After having spent one year as au-pair-girl in Christchurch, New Zealand Julia now returns to Germany. Although she is now nearly 30 hours on her way she is very excited and doesn't feel tired at all. But it was a really long journey and she had to change planes twice: She went from Christchurch to Auckland, from Auckland to Los Angeles and from Los Angeles to Frankfurt.

Julia sits down at a table where a young couple is sitting as well and is having a cup of tea with toast. The girl looks out of the window. How different everything in New Zealand is! Here in Germany cars seem to be driving on the wrong side, but then Julia realizes that she is now back in Germany and that the cars here drive on the right side and not on the left one. Another strange matter is that she doesn't see any pupils wearing their neat school uniform like in Christchurch. "How hectic people in Germany are" Julia thinks. New Zealand with its population of only 3 Million people seems to be much more calm and peaceful. There is less traffic and you hardly see any traffic jams. Maybe cars have to stop because a herd of sheep is crossing the road. Especially outside the towns there is little traffic. Sometimes you drive a long time without having seen any other car.

After having had lunch Julia leaves the dining car and sits down next to an old, very friendly looking man in another car. Only 30 more minutes until the train will reach Cologne main station. Julia starts reading the book "Irisches Tagebuch" by Heinrich Böll as a way of passing the time.
     The destination comes more and more close. Finally you hear from the loudspeaker: "In a few minutes we will arrive at Cologne main station". Julia becomes really excited and her heart starts beating faster. She takes all her luggage and makes her way through the train to reach the exit of the train. The train stops. Julia is the first who leaves the train. A few meters in front of her Andreas, her boyfriend, is waiting for her. They embrace. Both of them haven't been as happy as now for a long time.