“I don’t know how to get home. I don’t speak the language, it’s late, my phone’s dead, and all I’ve got is this address scribbled on a crumpled scrap of paper. People at work told me to carry it with me, but who am I even supposed to show it to? Asking the random guy across the street feels like a gamble I don’t want to take. Am I 15 minutes away or 5 hours? Who knows. And where on earth do I even begin walking?”
That was me—19 years old, lost in the middle of Surabaya, Indonesia. I had taken the wrong bus on my way back from the city, and by the time I figured it out, I was far from anywhere familiar. Oh, and that was right after I dodged a creepy cab driver making bizarre kissing gestures. To this day, I still have no idea how I slipped out of that situation!
So there I was, wandering with no plan, figuring I’d just keep walking until something—anything—clicked. Even if it took all night. Honestly, it seemed like the most logical plan at the time. Also, did I mention it was my first week in the country? And my first solo trip abroad? Talk about diving into the deep end.
Then, out of nowhere, this woman on a bike appears like something out of a movie. She slows down, looks at me, and asks if I’m lost. And here’s the kicker—she spoke English! The odds of that? Practically zero. She had her little daughter riding on the back, and she told me she was out waiting for her husband to finish work. That’s the only reason she happened to ride by me. I showed her the address, and she took me all the way home.
When you’re completely lost, help just shows up, like it’s been waiting for you. You don’t see it coming, but it’s always there. Always.
A little snippet from my time in Indonesia!
fortuitouspurpose 