There are always two sides to every story and travel isn’t always beautiful photographs and smooth sailing. On my travels, there have been many hiccups (some more disruptive than others) that have challenged me and have also left me with funny and embarrassing or inspiring tales to tell when I return home.
As we reflect on harrowing times and remember those who were lost at sites such as Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland or the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, memorials can also encourage us to recognise how each place or society has been shaped by these periods of history and events into how they exist today.
I gathered myself as best I could after being surrounded by a group of men who’d appeared out of nowhere and just as quickly disappeared. I looked down to see my bag unzipped and quickly realised I had been mugged in Bali.