After my first night drive in France, the journey simply continued. I do not want to turn it into more drama than it was. When I realised I was too tired, I stopped, took a proper break, and slept for about two hours. Then I still needed to move further because of the kilometres, driving time, and the way the work had to be spread out.
By midday, I felt okay again. It was daytime, the sun was out, and everything felt more normal than it had a few hours earlier. This part of the return was not about being a hero. It was about learning that truck life continues with common sense, not with force.
A Walk Instead of Just Lying in the Cab
Around lunchtime, I parked near Moulins in France. I had my meal and could have done the easiest thing possible: lie down in the cab and do nothing. I will not lie — that first night drive had “slightly” destroyed me. And when I say slightly, I actually mean quite a lot.
But one of the biggest problems in this job is sitting all the time. The weather was nice, it was November, and I knew that back home in Slovakia there would probably be fog, rain, and grey skies. So I pushed myself a little and went for a walk.
From the parking area, I walked about five kilometres into Moulins. It was not a tourist plan, just a simple walk by someone who needed to move and clear his head. I looked around the shops, bought some food and fruit, and was surprised that Lidl prices felt very similar to Slovakia.
A Morning With That Long-Haul Feeling
After a good sleep, I woke up feeling like a different person. More rested, calmer, and ready to continue towards home. There was a beautiful sunrise, music playing, a quiet head, and that feeling that this was one of the reasons why I had wanted to drive long-haul routes.
That cap will probably stay in my memory forever. Not because of the brand, the price, or how it looked, but because it was connected to something much bigger: my first night drive, the return from Spain, and the feeling that I was really learning how to live this life on the road.
Czechia Threw a Few Obstacles at Me
I continued towards Slovakia. I still had one quick night in Germany at a rest area, but that part does not need much space here.
The final day was different because the plan was clear: return to the company yard, the same place where this whole Spain journey had started. But the way back was not perfectly smooth. Around Prague, I lost about one and a half hours in traffic, and near Brno roughly another hour.
It did not break me. It felt more like truck life was throwing a few obstacles under my feet, and I was jumping over them one by one. After a full day behind the wheel, I arrived back at the company at around half past seven in the evening.
My First Spain Run Was Complete
And that was the moment when the circle closed. What had started in Slovakia, continued all the way to Spain, and then slowly led me back across Europe, was finally finished. For the first time, I had completed the whole journey there and back with a real load.
My first full round trip was complete.
The feeling was incredible, because for me, it was huge. Not long before that, I had only been thinking about routes like this. Now I was standing back at the company yard, knowing that I had actually done it.
Then I got into my private car. I was worn out and tired, but I still had about two more hours to drive home. It was not ideal. But at the same time, I felt that I was living my dream. I was driving long-haul routes, and with every kilometre, I was becoming a more experienced truck driver.
And that is exactly the point.