ION:
We had a conference/activity day with my section yesterday. I started strong by almost throwing up at the
pretty disgusting mess left outside the door to our corridor by someone overnight, and it only went better when I, having to switch busses halfway to the mansion housing this, accidently jump on the wrong bus and head back the same direction I came. I noticed my mistake within one stop, so I didn't get that far off track (even though it was a country road), but because all of this happened thanks to the correct bus being late (and having almost the same number), I didn't make it back to the correct road before it ran by.
These busses don't run particularly often. Once half an hour, to be precise, which wouldn't be that much of a problem if I didn't have a taxi waiting for me to clear the final distance, and a coworker waiting to accompany me on that taxi. Oh, and I was the contact person for the taxi driver,
and I later learned he'd gotten a digit wrong in my phone number, so he couldn't call me.
So, faced with way too much time to spend on contemplating how my mistake would complicate other people's days, I decided I would be at shame if I didn't at least
try to do something proactive about it. So I decided to hitchhike.
I've never hitchhiked. In fact, I don't think I know of anyone who has hitchhiked in Sweden outside of television (although I may recollect having seen a hitchhiker by the roadside, hmm), so I had no idea of how it would go or what would happen, especially since this was a somewhat sparsely trafficked road even at rush hour, but I turned to the passing cars and waved my thumb in the universally recognised hitchhiker sign. Although calling it "cars" is almost stretching it, as it turns out I've severely underestimated people's kindness on the road (or my own luck), because already the second car stopped to pick me up. The driver said he wasn't going all the way I was heading, but it'd be way closer, so I was happy to take it, figuring I'd try my luck again when I had to.
We talked a bit about nothing in particular as I cherished all the kilometers I wouldn't have to walk, but eventually we came upon the crossing where out paths diverged, and I had to thank him and get out. I started walking along the side of the road, which wasn't offering as much space any longer, and got breezed by by the first car, but barely got another 100 metres before the next stopped to pick me up. My luck really held fast, because this driver was heading all the way to the bus and train station I was heading for, and half the reason she wasn't taking the bus herself was because her teenage son had rejected the idea of travelling on the same bus as her so thoroughly it was unnegotiable.
In the end, I only arrived to the bus station 5 minutes late, rendezvoused with my coworker and found our taxi, and we even arrived on time at the mansion. My other coworkers were quite incredulous, and quite amazed. Personally, I'm happy to be able to put yet another experience no one else has experienced on my list of life experiences (conveniently empty of all that stuff people take for granted you've done by now).
The rest of the day had stuff happening too, but that's not as interesting in comparison.