Borders do not matter when you really need to get somewhere.

I have not been traveling much lately, but I am in the mood of recalling some old, now a bit funny story. If you knew me back in 2010, probably you are aware of that one.

Romanian adventure it was. 

Usually, I would write down some list and prepare everything that is needed for a trip on my own. But that was not the case. I was going with two Annas, one of which did this kind of trip multiple times. No need to worry, just rely on suggestions and follow. Well, all seemed quite easy, until, I actually didn't manage to catch up with the girls.
Train ticket was bought and things packed. I was running late, so decided to call a cab to make sure I will be on time. Which turned out to be a bad idea, as in a few kilometers away from the station we got stuck in an enormous traffic jam. My hopes were definitely over when moving 0km/hr the driver said: "and we are late". Hour or more after the train departed I finally got to the train station. Well, In the very last minute it is still better to take the metro in Kyiv as you never know.

I am at the train station, trying to return the ticket and get some reimbursement money. Well, to be honest, that is usually a bad idea, as time spent in the queue would be worth much more than a few hryvnias that you'll get afterward. 

There was a moment I started to consider skipping the trip, but 2 visas I had made and a ticket from the 1st destination to the second were rather motivating. As skipping the first destination was not even an option. 

Getting a new ticket. No trains to Chernivtsi, still hope to catch girls on the way, searching for anything that is still going more west was not turning very promising. Don't recall now all the thoughts I have got, but I ended up on the train to Ternopil. The train was arriving quiet early to the destination, so I thought, I will figure out the way how to get from there to Chernivtsi on the spot. A search of the bus station was not that hard after all, and it was not really far located either. The problem was, this was definitely not like in Kyiv, where you can get a minibus anywhere you want. It was only one bus per day, which was leaving soon but arriving at Chernivtsi in the afternoon. The trip was around 5 hours. 

My destination is still Cluj, I have no idea where it is, and how can I get there. Yeah, this time I didn't even look at the map to know which direction to move. 

Chernivtsi is a nice city, that was my first time there. Multiple calls to D., who was in Cluj before, to ask for suggestions on the route. Bus station, no busses till tomorrow, and I am already having second thoughts on this adventure, considering going back home, as sleeping at the station doesn't look like the option to me. Admitting to myself that I still want to go - I decided to ask around how to get to the border. 

Chernivtsi is a city that is rather close to the border. Bus station, grannies and drivers, someone should know how to get to the border. My destination is now Suceava, where I should take a train to Cluj. Asking some women, they point me to the bus, that is about to depart. The driver seems nice and agrees to drop me off on the road going to the border so I can continue my way, and as the bus turns vers the neighbor villages. 

Middle of nowhere, it's rather cold and rainy. It was around March. Me, walking on the road, trying to catch a car. A man stops, and before agreeing to drive me to the border - asks if I've got any cigarettes on me, as if I do, he won't take me with him, as he doesn't want any trouble. Well, I don't. We are driving. It all smells like gasoline and oil. He's making money by selling it abroad. We talk about life. The border is approaching. <...>

Time and technology

What if I would tell you, you can predict the future? Calculate exactly how many years/days/hours you've got on Earth. Well those things ain't something new. In fact, you definitely can. You can take statistic, choose its maximum and treat it as if that was the average time left.
Imagine that you have tried everything by now. Lets assume, that no new interests will pop up in your life. What is that you want to do next? How much time do you need to manage everything you want for the moment? Now lets get realistic - add some sleep, add some meals, and maybe friends/family time. What is the number? What would you do next minute? And what if you still need to explore?
Languages you want to learn, books you want to read, movies to watch, kilometers to pass, destinations and people to see. Sometimes that feels already a lot, you should probably keep following your plan, don't look back, don't look around, don't get new ideas until you've checked all wishes. Last point we count as possible, if we take the world as a constant and your mind as one other too.
What if you do calculate, and everything you want by now doesn't even fit in the lifetime statistics, how would you choose what's more important? With all those opportunities you've got. Would you speak just one language? Would you consider staying in the same city?
Nevertheless, isn't it scary to calculate it all? In reality our constants are not constant at all. What if trips to outer space become possible soon, which things from your "list" would you give up for that?