sent from: Esher, Surrey, UK. destination: Los Angeles, California, USA

We board the last train home, after a fast ride through the chilly streets. A feeling of tiredness falls over us like a thick fog. Maria checks the train company’s twitter feed – we’re gonna be delayed. No option but to sit and wait. A stream of liquid trickles along the floor. I hope it is only water or beer. Two women sit speaking Spanish. Two middle-aged Englishwomen stand at the open door on the platform. The first one lifts her leg to get in. “ooh, it’s a big step.” She stumbles in. “I’m getting a bit drunk.” Too late.. or mission accomplished. The train crawls along, a 30 minute ride stretches to an hour, 90 minutes. A group cackles in the corner. A young man leans over to a woman, asks for her water bottle.
“You want to WHAT?”
“I just need to pee,” he pleads. He leaves the carriage, looking for a non-existent loo. Others hop out at the stations and relieve themselves there and then, before rejoining the train.
Eventually, we are home.