So, once again, I barely slept. This is getting old. I brought sleeping pills for a reason. I have to start using them.
I bought bus tickets to Pärnu for 12:30pm. There's a tram that passes right outside the hostel (the same team keeping me up half the night), and google maps say it takes only 16 minutes to get there. Because I'm my parents' daughter, and I'm terribly high-strung, I tell Justin we have to leave at 11:30. If you're having trouble following the math, that's an hour to make a 16-minute ride.
At 11:30, Justin asks, "when did you say we are leaving?" "Now," I respond. He's downloading some update or something important on his computer, and asks me if we have 10 minutes. I say sure, although already I feel my nerves starting to clench.
Justin is not the kind of person who is late all the time. Those people drive me batshit crazy. Justin is usually on time, but often shit gets in the way, and he's on time, but just barely. That doesn't make me angry, but I can't live with that kind of stress. I am perpetually early, and if I'm late, it's strictly by choice.
I cannot STAND being late, and when it comes to planes, trains, and automobiles, I have to be early. I'm a nervous wreck.
So although yes, we had 10 minutes, I wanted to go. But I said nothing, because I could see that Justin needed whatever thing it was he was working on to happen, and I was sure he would have been just as stressed if I said no as I was being stressed that we weren't out the door.
10 minutes turns into 20, and now we're leaving the hostel at about 10 to 12. Still PLENTY of time, especially if we catch a cab instead. The cab would take 6 minutes instead of 16. So we ask the guy at the hostel how much a cab would be. He says "don't pay more than 3 or 4€. He has to say this because the taxi drivers are well-known scammers in Tallinn. You have to ask, or read the window... Every taxi company has a different rate. 4€ is perfect... The tram would cost the same, anyway.
I'm really bad with directions, and I've been relying on my little blue dot on my iPhone to direct me everywhere. I don't have my phone turned but the little blue dot still works!
The SECOND we walk outside, it POURS. Like the sky opens up and there's a torrential downpour. Justin hates getting wet. I don't even bother taking out my umbrella. There's one taxi guy on the corner. I ask how much it is to get to the bus station.
15 euros, he says.
Fuck you, asshole. Goddamnit.
So I run to the corner, and tell Justin to get on the tram that's approaching. He says he's not sure it's the right one. I don't even care. It's better than getting soaked, although I'm already halfway there.
We get on the tram. The driver is locked behind plate glass. There's only a little basket to put your money in. She ignores me, cause she's driving. I look at the little blue dot.
Of course we're going the wrong way.
Of course the rain has stopped the second we get on the tram. That rainstorm lasted about 3 minutes.
We get off the tram, a good 15 blocks away from where we started. I am beyond stressed out. And I'm really angry I didn't insist we leave at 11:30.
We get on the tram in the other direction. We still should have time. Not plenty of time, but maybe 12 minutes to spare. We get off the train, and in some sort of well-timed cosmic joke, the rain starts again. Hailstorm sized raindrops. The streets flood immediately. I am now pretty wet and am so nervous that I feel like I'm going to vomit. Did I mention I cannot handle this kind of stress?
We wait one minute and Justin looks at me. These kinds of situations he's used to finding himself in. I can't handle it. He asks if I want to wait. I sternly say "no." I know Justin can read that I just can't take it any more. So we run into the rain. I eschew the umbrella. I am really wet, but the bus station is in sight. I'm now cracking the fuck up, not even trying to avoid the ankle-high, ice cold, fresh pools of rain at every sidewalk we cross. We will be on time, dammit! I run right through them. My one (of only two) pants I am wearing is wet, and we're getting on a 2-hour bus ride. Justin is soaked from the knee down.
I would like to point out the ridiculousness of my nervousness right now. That bus ride cost €18 each. Big fucking deal. The next bus wasn't for another 3 hours, and that's really what I didn't want to deal with. But it's not like missing a plane. I really have no perspective sometimes.
We've got only 8 minutes left to go when I see the bus, almost completely boarded. We have assigned seats, but maybe Estonians leave early. I am thrilled. I quickly open up my bag, change my wet sweater and sneakers for dry coat and flip-flops, carelessly throw them into my bag, and run to get on the bus.
Justin now makes me wait until he gets a red bull. I just want to get on this damned bus. I see that the bus is leaving in 4 minutes; I'm determined to get on. Justin sees that there are 4 minutes left, he sees he has time to get a red bull.
And that's one big difference between the two of us. I see 4 minutes left as a failure; he sees it as an opportunity.
Also, because of all that rushing, I lost my iPhone.
We get to out seats, numbered 37 and 38, and someone is sitting in one of the seats. I say, "hi, these are ours." She replies, in very good English, "but now my seat is taken!"
BITCH, GET OUT OF MY SEAT. DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'VE JUST BEEN THROUGH?!?
I didn't say it, but I know she read my vibe.
**iphone not lost... In suitcase... SUCCESS
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