Arianna Moeller

October 28, 2013

Sharable Draft 2


In Stockholm, at the right of a seven-eleven

We had failed at showing our geographic location skills in Stockholm. We failed at
pronouncing, for the first time, new signs in letters we didnt know that existed. And once more,
we failed when asking directions for getting to trafikmyndighet tongng. The street was
supposed to be at the right of a seven-eleven. Either if it was at the right, at the left, or in front, it
did not matter; we had failed.
I carried a bucket of five kilograms wild-fruits jam that was intended to feed us every
morning until we returned home, an unused Visa credit card, my passport, and this indescribable
feeling of security.
I tried to look at his eyes, but confidence works better when you have someone more to
impress rather than yourself. As a Swedish guy he was good-looking: crystal eyes, bleached hair
and cold smile. He did not glance back at me, because his eyes focused on a map; not even in
the computer screen. The same way he did, I lowered my sight to the touristic map of Must-
Sightseeing places to visit in Stockholm he had on the table. You know, I am going to mark
this with all the nearby youth hostels you can find around this area. For example this one, said
Arvik. Part of being a youth hostel doorman is to dominate universal languages like English.
That was not the problem; the problem relied on my poor capacities of understanding. My mind
tried to look at patterns between the unpronounceable street names in the map and the reality of
my situation. Now I realize that it would have been more useful to take a geography course
instead of 2D-Art Fun.
Pardon me? I muttered.
Here you have a list of numbers, so you can call before you go. Anyway, I will contact
you if a guest does not come. The gate was closed and I stood in front of a Seven-Eleven in the
Arianna Moeller
October 28, 2013
Sharable Draft 2
middle of the street: in my right hand the pot of jam, and in my left hand a black-pen marked
map. The doorman felt pity for me; he never said, You didnt make the reservation correctly.
There is no room for you. When situations slap you in the face, you cant do more than
understand. At least I would not die of starvation. Can someone die from loneliness?
I will try not to dramatize the situation. The world is not as hostile as pessimists may
convince us. When me parents fail to give me any befitting piece of advice and focus on the
importance of calling in case of emergencies and only if there is a wireless connection available,
one is forced to look at alternative options. Luckily, a girl half Canadian and half Korean, and an
Indonesian guy, who didnt know where was headed, offered to help me and walked with me.
Were we going somewhere? How could we know.
Sudden flashbacks of my mother recalling pieces of information that seemed redundant at
the moment inundated my mind. Do not walk for more than half an hour with a suitcase that
competes with the seize of an elephant. Check for the place you are going to sleep before paying.
Both, mistakes from which to learn. Nicole, the Canadian girl, the Indonesian boy, and I kept
walking until we got saw a sign, which indicated Rooms available, attention 24/7, and laundry
service for free.
A room for ten people and five days to enjoy, if that is the appropriate word, in
Stockholm. The statistics of the people in my new bedroom were as follows: 70% German boys,
10% Philippines tourists, 10% Colombian travelers, and in the last 10% there was me, as the
Ecuadorian nave.
I learned to sleep without closing my eyes and to fuse four languages in order to
understand at least one sentence in Swedish. I walked with two complete strangers; an
Indonesian and Indonesian that pretended to be my friends during twenty minutes and I starved
myself for five days. But, even between the labyrinths of a new place, even between a pot of
marmalade and a pointless piece of map, even covered between euphemisms and ideas that
distract from the meaning, I found a place. Conditions may not make sense. No one is here to
Arianna Moeller
October 28, 2013
Sharable Draft 2
predict how will we fit in and what the path will be. I found my way at the right of a Seven-
Eleven and between a Canadian and Indonesian. A space was waiting for me ; I only needed to
find it.