What you think when you take the train for the first time in 100 years again

You should know that I fall into the luxury category. Therefore, I only travel by bike or by car. By bike, because I also live in the Netherlands. By car, because I value freedom of movement. I use public transport as little as possible. Until now, because I realized that I could occasionally travel by train. Then you start thinking things.

• Hell no, I'm not standing in a crowd, I travel first class.
• Where is my OV-chipkaart actually?
• Then just buy a ticket.
• Oh handy, you can buy tickets in the NS app.
• The gate doesn't open with the NS ticket.
• Contact customer service in the app and illegally board in the meantime.
• Wondering if she'll ever get out of a station without a ticket.
• Customer service advises to buy a ticket to open the gates to freedom.
• Huh?
• Fuck, pardon my French, I obviously need to wear a face mask.
• Silently says a prayer that there’s still a crumpled one in a jacket pocket. There is, so I can breathe easy again. With a face mask, of course.
• Meanwhile on the train: this is actually quite nice.
• That's right: you can actually work on a train while someone else drives for you.
• It would be life-threatening if I were to drive this train, by the way.
• Sitting in an exceptionally quiet train before rush hour. I could have easily traveled second class. Quite a waste of that extra four euros.
• Decides to take the train more often. What am I saying? The train is the new car.
• The only annoying thing about the train is that it obviously doesn't wait for me if I'm just a bit late.
• Which I am quite often, so this could be problematic.
• What many people are actually like in such a train. I’ve become quite unaccustomed to people, it turns out.
• By the way, is it dry from the station to the office? Checks Buiendradar.
• Meanwhile tries to stuff the empty coffee-to-go cup into the too-small trash can. Which still doesn't fit.
• How many stops left?
• Confuses transfer suggestions with next stations. I'M ON THE WRONG TRAIN. Am I on the wrong train? I'm not on the wrong train.
• Shit, the conductor. Where is my ticket? Would he think I don't belong in first class? It's like when the police is behind you at a traffic light, suddenly you drive very properly.
• Fortunately, the final station. I made it.