The Day I Lost my Rab Bergen Jacket
If you're like me you've probably lost a thing or two that was valuable. Every day people lose car keys, money, mobile phones, and a host of other things. The problem is the more valuable a lost item, the worse the experience tends to be. I had just such an experience not too long ago on a train trip from Salzburg to Newcastle.
I had gone to Salzburg with a group of friends on an extended holiday, and I had to leave a few days early in order to be back for work. Being a little disappointed about having to leave my friends and travel alone, I was distracted the entire time I was on the train. Thankfully, I was travelling on an off day so there were plenty of empty seats in my carriage. I chose one next to the window and sat down, dropping my things in the empty seat next to me.
I did manage to somewhat enjoy the scenery and all the little towns as the kilometres rolled away. But after what seemed like an eternity, boredom and disappointment set in and I eventually fell asleep. That may not sound like a big deal, but one of my greatest fears has always been falling asleep on a train and missing my stop.
Sometime during that trip my Rab Bergen jacket from rab clothing , which I was using as a blanket, fell to the floor. I remember waking two or three times, not knowing whether or not I had missed my destination. The final time I woke, I did so with a shocking start as I felt the hand of the conductor on my shoulder. He told me we were at my destination and I needed to get off the train quickly so it could continue on. I thanked the conductor, gathered up my things, and hurried off as the doors closed behind me.
I briefly thought about my friends back in Salzburg before realizing I was cold. Suddenly it dawned on me; I had left my jacket on the train. My favourite jacket, my Rab Bergen jacket which had seen me through thick and thin, was quickly drifting away down the tracks. I grabbed the first worker I could find and explained to him my plight, but in the back of my mind I knew I would never see it again. I was right.
I eventually replaced the jacket with a new one, but it was never the same. Not that the old one was better than the new one, I just couldn't believe I was so stupid as to leave it without even looking. Needless to say, I take much better care of my things nowadays.