An Unexpected Adventure
The forty-eight hours that went from a boring day at the office to my first passport stamp.
It was a moody September morning in 2008. The low-hanging clouds dropped a steady drizzle onto the tarmac outside the wall of windows. The soothing, sweet smell of the forest beyond found its way into the small room like the misty tendrils of fog seeping through the trees outside. Most of us passengers were in various states of disarray after spending the night flying over the Atlantic Ocean.
This might be a dream, and if it is, please let me see what happens next before I wake up! My mind raced through imagined futures as I waited for the uniformed official to wave me forward so he could examine my passport. The last forty-eight hours had been a whirlwind and I thought I might explode from all the hope, fear, excitement, and uncertainty that had built up.
Friday morning, I arrived at the office for what I thought would be an average, fairly boring day. My big hope was to sneak out early and get a headstart on a relaxing weekend with absolutely no plans. Life had other ideas.
I was sipping my coffee and checking emails, when my boss plopped into one of the ugly, 1970s-style brown chairs across from my desk. He immediately started spouting off a list of tasks for our main project, a new product for our European market. While my brain was working to catch up, he dropped a bomb that would upend my chill weekend and my life.
“You need to visit the five facilities that will be selling this product and make sure it’s what they want. You’ll need to leave tomorrow so we can get this wrapped up quickly. Send emails to everyone, make your travel arrangements, and go home to pack.” Wait, what?! My world suddenly shifted on its axis, and I felt like I was falling down a rabbit hole into some alternate universe.
“Sure! No problem. I’m on it,” was all I could manage, hoping I didn’t look as shocked and out of sorts as I felt. We hashed out a few details, then I was left to figure it out. I’d never planned any kind of trip before, and suddenly, I had to figure out how to cross an ocean and navigate my way through places I knew absolutely nothing about. Also, I’d be going alone.
Though I’d been dreaming about seeing the world since I was small, this wasn’t exactly how I imagined getting started. It felt like Life was standing in the corner with a smirk, chuckling to herself, and saying, “Here you go, kid. Also, you’re welcome.” Fine. Challenge accepted!
My fingers flew across the keyboard as I sent emails to my colleagues, made reservations, and impulsively decided where to spend the two free weekends I would have. I threw everything I thought I might need into my laptop case and headed for home. It felt like a gang of frogs on trampolines was throwing a party in my stomach, but there wasn’t time to let my nerves get the best of me. My brain had left the building, and I was operating on pure adrenaline and instinct.
My new, never-been-used, hard-sided silver suitcase was roughly the size of a baby elephant. I blew through my townhouse like a tornado throwing clothes, toiletries, a book, and other potentially useful items inside. This would be a crash course in Packing 101.
Sleep was fitful that night as my mind ran through all the possibilities of what I would encounter upon arrival at my first stop, Stockholm, Sweden. A sea of conflicting emotions roiled through my body with each imagined scenario -- fear and excitement, self-doubt and hope, loneliness and freedom. There hadn’t been time to research Stockholm or any of the other cities in Sweden, Germany, France, and Austria that I’d be visiting over the next eighteen days.
Handing over my passport to check in for my flight was surreal. I knew there was no turning back as I watched my giant silver suitcase take its first ride on a conveyor belt and disappear. I was in a daze as I walked away from the counter, passport and boarding pass in hand. This was it! At twenty-six, I was about to be a “real” international traveler. Although I had no idea what was waiting for me on the other side, relief crept over me as I settled in for the long flight across the Atlantic.
The first rays of sunlight burst over the sea of clouds, bringing a new day full of possibilities. As we descended toward Stockholm, evergreen forests stretched in every direction, broken only by rivers, meadows, and the occasional brightly colored building. I was enchanted, completely fascinated by this unfamiliar world opening up before me. The nerves about navigating this unknown reality were momentarily eclipsed by the excitement of a grand adventure.
Finally, it was my turn to approach the window. The agent asked a few simple questions and I stumbled over my answers. Mercifully, he decided I was no real threat to Sweden’s national security. I held my breath, half-expecting to wake up from this dream at the worst possible moment.
The ca-chunk of the stamp hitting the empty passport page echoed through my body like the clash of a start gate springing open at the beginning of a race. I was beyond tired, but there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to explore this little corner of Europe for a day. Since the rest of the week would be full of meetings and other boring business events, I didn’t know how many other chances I would get.
The woman at the hotel’s front desk answered all my questions, handed me a paper map, and told me where to catch the train to the city center. Though I was clueless about Stockholm, I was simply looking forward to walking down streets I’d never seen before and discovering what life looked like in this foreign place.

I spent a glorious day wandering aimlessly. My feet rarely stopped as I made my way through Stockholms Old Town, walking on uneven cobblestone streets for the first time and exploring narrow, winding alleyways lined with brightly colored buildings. It was something straight out of a fairy tale. Feeling the cool sea breeze on my face as I strolled along one of the many boat-lined waterfronts confirmed that it was, in fact, real life and not a dream. I drank in all the sights, sounds, and energy of the city like a parched desert traveler who has an endless supply of clear, refreshing water for the first time in her life.
Exploring my way around Stockholm, I found a piece of my heart I hadn’t even known was missing. It was the best day of my life up to that point. By the time I fell into bed that evening, I knew I wanted more of the wonder, excitement, and aliveness I’d felt throughout the day. Though I had no idea how to make it happen or what it would look like, I felt a sense of purpose for the first time in my adult life. The next seventeen days would confirm my suspicion that I had just fallen hopelessly and madly in love with the world and wanted to see as much of it as possible.
Where We Go From Here
Ah, thanks for the opportunity to take a delightful stroll down memory lane to that life-changing experience. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed retelling it.
There are so many places we can go from here, but I’ve narrowed it down to the choices below. If there’s a topic or story you’d like to read about that isn’t on the list, you can use this form to tell me! (You can look back at previous posts for other ideas.)
Misadventures - mistakes and embarrassing travel moments from that first trip.
Young Explorer - the childhood experiences and people that sparked my interest in travel.
Full Circle - the story of a stop in Stockholm seven years later that showed me who I’d become since that first day.
Random Writings - I’ll choose a random piece I’ve been working on - fiction or non - to share with you.
Also, I’m currently working on a historical fiction novel about Eleanor of Aquitaine. Any interest in reading bits of that as it comes together?
I love to hear from you so feel free to reply and tell me what you’ve been up to! If you’d like to support my writing on Substack, give the post a like or leave me a comment. You can even gift me a coffee to fuel all these words. 😊
That’s all for now. Adventure on, my friends!
Cheers,
Annie
Annie, this is beautiful and exhilarating—both the story itself and the writing. I so enjoyed experiencing a bit of your life-changing origin story through this *wonder*-ful post! 💜