Stepping Out Into The Light.

by Rose Merlin John (India)

I didn't expect to find United Arab Emirates

Little did an Indian woman who was born and raised in the UAE such as me know that getting around in UAE would be hard for herself especially when I hadn't had a chance to get out because my folks were protective for their own reasons.On my 23rd year of existence my parents had sudden plans in india regarding a personal matter and it was up to me to find my way into the necessary needs I had. Well I always wanted to have my own adventure like getting lost on a street or in a city and finding my way while meeting odd strangers who could lead me further lost or into a easier shortcut into my destination. And somehow I found it fun to travel to places when the journey was long, like you start with a bus then a boat then a scooter then a car and so on and finally you reach a destination worth it or not but something adventurous comes out of it. So, after my parents had left my first challenge was to manage finding my taxi to reach my new script writing workshop which I had been chosen for. So I crossed several roads wondering which would be more suitable to hail a taxi and there I found one gentle man who dropped me into class. We chatted about his family and home and dropped me off happily to my classes and then while returning I worried that i will struggle to hail a taxi again and even if I did successfully hail a taxi would I be kidnapped or worse. Now I know., I know, what you are thinking this girl has never stepped out a day and she's adventurous? Well she is! Keep on reading to know why! The moment I worriedly stepped out of the building to seek a taxi there waited one expecting someone to enter, usually in a movie this could be the part where the man could be a serial killer and he could take me to a desert in UAE (since there are many deserts in this region) and could just do something creepy and burry my corpse in the sands. But to my dismay he was a nice man and he had dropped me off home whilst we had a conversation about his home and family.That day was the first taste of freedom I ever felt and I craved more. There was a shop in abudhabi I longed to go with my sister but everyone was busy to accompany me, So I woke up one day and got droped off in the bus station to travel from Musafah to abudhabi city seeking the dress shop.The driver took me to the bus station and I got on in the bus and I kept looking out in panic thinking if I'd get lost and I did. I know it's hard to believe one would confidently get lost without internet in those days that people usually do trust falls with..But I just did in the 21st century! I walked in the sun for almost an hour seeking the shop and I tried to steal free internet from shops that I passed by so as to find the shop in GPS.I took wrong turns, passed the same way in 2 different paths but the humour was the shop was just behind that certain path and finally I reached the shop. There was a fulfilment that washed over my face. So, I rewarded my self two tops for independently finding my way into the shop.I became tired of roaming around in the sun incurring a heavy head ache but even then I felt victorious which made me feel I can wander the world own my own now and maybe all I need to do is to protect myself. The sun was setting and the night had started to find its way sending the day light to where ever it went. I watched it all thinking I will just have to get lost and find my way into life's journey. I set my ways back home realising my solo adventure of life had began and it felt liberating.