When Three Wrong Turns Does Not Make a Right

Sometimes knowing the train schedule is useful. I had gotten used to the convenience of being able to ride any train in the direction I wanted to go (one comes every 10 min) so I forgot that if I needed to ride one of the three in particular, there would be 30 minutes between trains. I got to the station just in time to see the train leave. Without me. (Wrong Turn #1)

I was trying to get to, of all places, IKEA. Why? Because they have really good meatballs. And organization solutions that look nice. And comfy, cheap blankets. Thinking about all the nice stuff waiting for me kept me fairly entertained as I waited for the train.

Once I got to Böblingen, I walked away from the tracks to look for IKEA. (Wrong Turn #2) After  trying to see any sort of large blue building, and looking at bus maps without any success, I learned that IKEA was actually closer to one of the stops on a different subway line. As I turned to go back to the trains I saw (for the second time) the train leave. Without me. (This might have been the indication that it was simply not meant to be, but I was determined. I had dreamed of meatballs and lingonberries. I had a mission. I would not fail.)

Waiting for another half hour at a different subway station was not much more interesting than the first. The only thing this particular stop had going for it, was it's nice(ish) view. If you ignored all the construction right in the immediate vicinity, there was actually a beautiful meadow behind the so-new-they're-still-being-built buildings that framed the setting sun. (Setting is used loosely here, as the sun sets for 2+ hours)

Eventually the train came, and I made it to the correct stop. My goal was within two blocks of the train station, to the left. So I turned left (Wrong Turn #3) and walked a block and some undefined distance. It was a really long first block, and I never found a second cross street. I ended up on a frontage type road and walked myself right out of town. (Perhaps another indication, but I ignored it as well) After walking for 20 minutes without finding/seeing the 'end' of the second block, I began to wonder if 'left' two blocks was left facing the tracks or left facing away from the tracks.

Turns out it was facing the tracks. So back I went. (On the upside, the frontage road was really pretty, and since I walked up this giant hill as I left the town, on my way back I saw the giant IKEA sign that wasn't visible from the train station. I felt rather brilliant.) 2 hours after I originally started my journey, I finally made my way to get my hard earned meatballs. They were delicious.