I was lost, and I was panicking.

I was in Germany for a three month stay. I was enjoying my time there. I visited England, France, Norway, Holland, and the Czech Republic. I made a good number of friends in the choir, at youth group, and in the children’s program that I helped with. I used much of my time to work on improving my German. But many of my days were still mundane. I had to find activities to take up my time. On this particular day, I decided to go on a bike ride.

I borrowed a bike from the family I was staying with and set out. The weather was beautiful. It was spring, and the sun was shining. I only needed a light jacket to stay comfortable. I rode around the outskirts of town, along the familiar main road. But as I went on, I became more adventurous. I decided to turn down one of the smaller streets. As long as I remembered every turn I took, I would be fine.

The little road I took soon cut off, and I had to turn again, this time onto another main road. I made a mental note of what was around me and turned right. I continued pedaling and enjoying the day.

After ten or fifteen minutes, I decided to turn around and head back to the house; if I went too far, I might forget which street I had turned down. So I spun my bike around and headed in the opposite direction, confident that I knew where I was going.

As the time progressed, and I passed more and more streets that looked similar, I realized that I wouldn’t recognize which one I had come down. I had no idea if I had gone too far. My mind started spinning. I was in an unfamiliar part of an unfamiliar country. My German had improved, but not to the point where I could describe where the house was. I was lost, hopelessly lost. The self-confidence I had gained during my time away from home was leaving me. My adrenaline started pumping.

Then, just as I was on the verge of a breakdown, I saw it. It was lying there, on the sidewalk, and I recognized it. The banana peel! I had seen the banana peel on my way up the street. I hadn’t gone too far; the street I needed to turn down was still ahead.

I began pedaling faster; my hopes had risen. And soon enough, I saw the street I was looking for. I recognized the houses and shops. Tears sprang to my eyes; I was not lost after all. I could find my way home from here, all thanks to that one banana peel.