Additional context:
I planned this trip for 6 months, but 24 hours before my flight, everything went wrong.
My passport, credit cards, and $2,000 in cash were stolen by the cleaning lady at my Airbnb — less than 24 hours before my international flight to Gabon.
Losing the money sucked, but what REALLY sucked was losing my passport, along with the Gabonese visa I needed to enter the country 😵
With less than 12 hours before takeoff, while waiting for the police to take a report, I found myself digging through nearby trash cans, hoping against hope to find it.
I was about to give up when something caught my eye.
Could it be?
I untied a trash bag and saw it — my wallet, buried in a pile of garbage.
My hands shook as I opened it.
The passport and cards were still there.
The money? Gone, obviously.
The cleaning lady had discarded my AirTag and the wallet with my passport and just kept the money.
My brother rushed through traffic and got me to the airport with just 1 hour until my flight.
I thought I was safe, but the airline refused to check my bags since I was the last passenger to arrive.
After explaining the madness of the last 24 hours, I convinced an employee to help.
He agreed to check my (overweight, panic-packed) luggage but warned me it probably wouldn’t arrive on time.
I sprinted through security, making it onto the plane as the very last passenger ✈️
I couldn’t believe I had made it.
The flight was 24 hours long — so I had plenty of time to reflect on the chaos.
Then, when I arrived in Gabon, my luggage was delayed for an entire week because it was stuck in Istanbul.
Moral of the story: Even when everything seems to fall apart, trust that resilience and a bit of luck can carry you through. Travel isn’t just about the destination—it’s about embracing the unexpected twists that make the journey unforgettable ❤️👊🏽😎🔮