The Best-Laid Plans...
I had it all planned out. I was heading off to Zürich—not just for a fun trip, but to meet up with a fantastic friend flying in from San Francisco and, crucially, to pick up some key supplies for my tiny, fledgling business project. The journey itself was going to be an adventure: regional train to Duisburg, followed by the convenient, clickety-clack of the overnight sleeper train straight to Switzerland. Pure, civilized travel.
I felt a little buzz of excitement as I arrived at my local station, ready to start the escape. Then I glanced up at the departure board and saw the two words that instantly drain the blood from any traveler's face: 'Delayed. +30 Min.'
The Price of 30 Minutes
Thirty minutes. In the grand scheme of things, that’s nothing. But in the context of a tightly scheduled, non-refundable connection, it was everything. My night train ticket—a comfortable sleeper berth that cost me a cool €120—was now effectively worthless. Because the regional feeder train and the international night train were booked with separate companies, the night train wouldn't wait. That money was, in a word, gone.
I slumped onto a bench, the initial excitement curdling into a hot, anxious frustration. I spent the next 15 minutes of my delay frantically scrolling, trying to piece together any combination of local trains that could get me to Zürich. I was already mentally preparing for a sleepless night spent contorted across three different seats, sitting around and waiting impatiently at train stations “mitten nirgendwo”.
The Cost of Resilience
Just when I was ready to give up, I stumbled onto a crazy, last-ditch solution. It was an alternative route that required me to travel backward first—way out of the direction I wanted to go, toward a major hub like Hannover. The kicker? It meant buying another night train ticket, which, being a last-minute panic purchase, now cost an eye-watering €200.
Suddenly, the situation was boiled down to a single, high-stakes debate:
Choice A: Cut my losses, go home, and save the additional €200.
Choice B: Bite the bullet and pay the extra money to stick to the plan.
Choice C: Reject the whole train system and dream up some wild, multi-bus-and-rideshare combination.
I realized something interesting while weighing these options. My choice reflected exactly where I am in life. My younger self, driven purely by adventure and a tight budget, would have picked Choice C. My much older self, prioritizing peace above all, would probably just opt for A and wait for another opportunity.
But in that moment, I picked Choice B. I clicked 'buy' on the €200 ticket, making my total journey cost a whopping €320.
The Justification
Why pay double? The answer came down to two things I value highly today:
Sleep: I simply value a decent night’s rest too much to gamble on a sleepless multi-stop journey. The older you get, the more you realize that a comfortable bed is priceless.
The Mission: The reason for the trip hadn't changed. That dear friend coming from SF and the important business supplies he was carrying were worth the entire, now-doubled, cost. The destination and the purpose of the meeting completely outweighed the sting of the travel hiccup.
The key takeaway for me wasn't the expense, but the sheer effort it took to stop worrying and start moving. Resilience in these moments isn't about ignoring the money lost; it's about actively shutting down the "what-if" generator in your brain. Looking back at the parallel universe where the first train was on time is a waste of time and energy once the decision is made. You have to commit to the path you're on, accept the cost, and focus all your energy on the goal ahead.
Zürich, here I come!