I love this throwback photo of myself on the bus. It reminds me of what now seems like the distant past, days when we could use public transportation without wearing masks.

Speaking of public transportation, let me tell you about the time I missed my train stop and ended up in a different city.

I take the train to work. Well, used to before covid. These days the office is anywhere with strong Wi-Fi and a picturesque background for Zoom meetings.

Anyway, it’s a fifty-four minute train ride. No, don’t picture Lagos traffic. It’s a scenic ride and serene too, if like me you choose to sit in the quiet zone on the upper level. I usually read a book halfway, and then chat with my mom if she’s online, or just catch up on the absurdity that goes on in the WhatsApp group with my friends.

On the day in question, I left the office earlier than usual because I needed to make a quick stop before getting home. I’m such a planner, and had allotted time to everything I needed to do that evening.

I read for about 30 quiet minutes, then checked to see if my mom was online. She wasn’t so I went back to my book, or so I thought. I only realized I had dozed off when I heard over the speaker ‘We have arrived at our last station, the train is no longer in service. Make sure you take all your personal belongings with you.’

I looked around me and the coach was empty. I looked through the window and the station didn’t look familiar. We were in the city after mine!

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to laugh at myself, beat myself up now that I had let sleep ruin my itinerary, or cry at the thought of having to figure out my way home from this strange city in the peak of winter. I did a bit of each.