Right after getting married – beginning of January 2010, before I went back to be a student in Fribourg – I had some time to get acquainted with the beautiful Zurich and also to be “married”.
One day, your father came up with a brilliant idea: “Why don`t you meet me at my office? You can see my work environment, meet my boss and my colleagues, and more.” What he didn’t realize at the time was that his company already celebrated a dedicated annual day for that purpose. But never mind—you’ll soon encounter plenty of “I didn’t realize” moments in the upcoming stories—moments that can be both deeply embarrassing and incredibly powerful, naturally pushing you beyond your comfort zone.
I checked the Zurich transport website, found the bus line, and carefully noted the stop. Brimming with confidence (a notorious flaw of mine), I walked to the station, boarded the bus, and made myself comfortable.
About ten minutes later—when a nagging suspicion that something was amiss began to creep in—my phone rang.
“Where are you?”
“At the last stop—it says Bahnhof Tiefenbrunnen. I thought your office was near the airport.”
A long pause followed.
“My Queen… you took the right bus, but in the wrong direction.”
And that, my dear children, was the day I learned that in Zurich, the same bus or tram number often has two separate stops—one for each direction. It’s surprisingly easy to mix them up.
Lesson for my kids: Always know your direction. This applies to far more than just public transport.
Note for my 80-plus-year-old self: Life might steer you off your planned path, but instead of griping about the detour, embrace it—and make the most of the unexpected destination.
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