Curiosity and Wanderlust I hope to combine my scientific curiosity with my love of travel to provide a new view of the world.

The force of the slowing train caused my resting head to dip forward abruptly. I peered out the window, squinting as my eyes adjusted to the midday light. It seemed odd that there would be a station here, all I could see was tall yellow grass. Glancing around at the other passengers I spotted several confused looking faces, then the engine shut off.

This is the point when travelling alone feels like not such a great idea anymore.

Murmuring began in the carriage, first softly then increasing in intensity as time went on. I had never cursed my inability to speak a language other than English more.

After some time the familiar crackling of speakers hushed my fellow passengers and the weary voice of a man filled the space. I listened to his tired yet bouncy French and waited for him to repeat the announcement in English. It didn’t come, the crackling stopped and groans filled the air. Something had gone wrong. Conspicuously I looked around the old carriage hoping to spot lips moving in a way I understood. No luck. My eyes fell to the lap of the woman next to me, she was writing a text.

“Ah, excusez-moi, parlez-vous anglais?” I said in my terrible French accent. She looked up, her eyes turning down slightly in what I can assume was pity, “non” she replied with a half smile. Returning her smile I turned my head to the window.

Moments later I felt a nudge at my arm, it was the woman. “We here” she said in a thick French accent, pointing at the pulsating blue dot on the map she had bought up on her phone, “problem there” she moved her finger just ahead of the blue dot, “we move here” she slid along the screen to a spot marked ‘Toulon’. “Merci” I nodded looking at her kind face as the trains engine chuffed back to life and we began our diversion. This was not where I was meant to be.

Pulling into Toulon I had no idea what to do, I stared up at the train schedule, watching as numbers changed to ‘retard’ - late. I cursed under my breath, “I know right?” a voice in a familiar tone chimed from next to me. I turned to see a smiling boy of about my age, “I’m Ben,” he said, holding out a hand that I all too happily shook.

Ben was Australian too, and was also traveling alone. We made the most of our unexpected stop over, walking around the city we had only just found out existed. A few hours later with the trains back up and running we parted ways to head to our intended destinations, grateful for the unlikely companionship we had found trapped in Toulon.