D1 pt 2: Turning it Around, Bordeaux

Recap my morning: I arrived in Bordeaux, discovered I booked my original hostel for the wrong night, and lost my credit card.

I arrived at my new hostel in the early enough in the afternoon to have a full day ahead of me. The place is very nice, and the worker who checked me in provided an excellent recommendation for dinner at a market where local vendors set up temporary kitchens. I ended up eating artisan pizza that was charged per the weight, which I thought was a clever way to do it, and washed it down with a Stella, the European Bud light.

There is a sold-out, outdoor EDM concert a block away from the hostel that I try to get tickets for at the gate by being friendly and nice, but with no luck. Dejected, I wonder if today just isn’t my day. This hostel isn’t great for meeting people so I am solo – do I got out on the town by myself?

Fuck it. Why not. I get on the train to head to a mojito bar recommended by my yoga teacher who lives in Bordeaux. The bar is old and cool but is a sit down kind of place where people are either on a date or with a group and this makes it hard to meet people. I enjoy my mojito alone and pass the time reading a book on my phone. Well, I thought, I gave it a shot but today isn’t my day. Gathering my coins to pay for my drink, I am interrupted by a girl, named Margo, who asks me if I’d like to join her and her boyfriend for a drink.

Fuck it. Why not. I gather my things, move over to their table, and order another mojito. Her boyfriend, Valentine, has classic European style – a white shite with white washed jeans and pair with a leather jacket he drapes over his shoulder. It’s a very John Travolta look. Margo’s energy is infectious though, and we easily fall into conversation. They both lived in Dubai for a number of years so understood what it is like to be alone in a new city. She saw I was wearing Birkenstocks and heard me speak English, so correctly assumed I was American.

Valentine is from the Bordeaux area and proceeded to show us around town. We ripped quite a few snake bites (tequila shot, lime, and salt) together and had a super fun night. She works in a horse stable in Dubai and competes in long distance horse races whereas he just opened a business as a black smith, something he’d wanted to do since the age of 14. I can’t fathom having that much clarity into knowing exactly what I want do with my life. I still have no clue at 27, which I guess is maybe what these adventures are about.

But I digress. At 11:30, I said farewell to head home for sleep since my flight is early in the morning. I stumble back to the tram station while searching for food. The first store I stop in says, “we’re closed”. I turn to leave when the gentleman follows up with, “Wait, do you want this cheese pizza for free?”. Hell yeah I do. The city is so alive at this time of the night so I find a spot to enjoy my Za and people watch before getting on the tram home.

I chug some water at the hostel and then crash into my bed happy to have stepped outside of my comfort zone and turn my day around.