It Only Takes One

I seldom find someone whose company I enjoy but that doesn't mean I am lonely because I love spending time on my own. I used to read books or watch movies in my alone time but recently I've started going out on walks with me, myself and I. I started doing this after moving into the on-campus housing at NUST because:

From one of those walks, admiring the beautifully built campus

1. The weather is usually nice in Islamabad and the campus is a safe space

2. I needed fresh air

3. My friends were either unavailable or lived off-campus

I discovered that I was unable to walk at a leisurely pace because 4-years of traveling on public transport during my undergrad had turned me into a cautious and brisk walker (avoiding sleazy men on the street and running after buses does that to you). So these walks were always short 30-minute trysts. 

When I came to Arizona on a research internship, I wanted to explore as many places as possible during my short stay. There was a group of Pakistani students with me but we often had conflicting schedules and I never reached that stage of spontaneous hangouts with my American colleagues, so naturally that led me to venture out alone. A collection of my wonderful and often reckless solo adventures follows:

Brief Trip to the Marketplace

Tempe Marketplace

I decided to check out a sale at Ulta Beauty and paid a heavy price for it. It was already 3 pm and I thought a short trip to the local marketplace was doable. I intended to get on the bus before sundown because even though this is America, a girl out at night all by her lonesome is uncommon. I don't know where the time went but by the time I was done roaming around it was already 8 pm. So I made my way to the bus stop to catch the bus going South. I didn't realize the bus that goes North also picks up passengers from the same shelter. A bus arrived after 20 minutes by which time I was desperate to get back so I blindly boarded without checking the route. A few stops went by and that is when the alarms in my head started going off. I still waited because the roads all look the same and hoped maybe I was on the right bus but a quick look at Google Maps told me we're going in the wrong direction. 

Marketplace at night

So me being the idiot that I am, got off at the next stop rather than asking the driver for the safest way to get home. The next stop just happened to be a poorly lit road but I comforted myself with the fact that there was a steady stream of cars rushing by. All that was shot to hell when the only other lady on the bus said to me, "Be safe out there". Now I was out on the road giving myself anxiety trying to figure out if the lady said it as a random goodbye or was it because the area is notorious for it's high crime rate. I crossed the road and checked the bus schedule which said the next bus is 20 mins away. 

There was a place called called Oakland next to the bus-stop and it looked like a housing complex so I thought "Nothing to worry about. There is going to be a security guard up there." But it turns out to be the office of a construction company which is as deserted as you would expect one to be on a Sunday night. Twenty minutes passed and I kept comforting myself thinking, "Five more minutes and then I order a Lyft". (Side note: No one I knew there had a car so couldn't really call someone.) There were no pedestrians on that road and the cars were going too fast to even see me so it wasn't as scary as it sounds. 

The bus arrived 8 minutes later and I breathed a sigh of relief! The adventure didn't end there. I still had to get off at a Lightrail Station and travel one stop to get home. But there were other people waiting there with me, at least. Shortly after I heard sirens in the distance and not one, not two, not three, but four fire-trucks parked on the road next to the station. To top it off, half a dozen police cars were rushing down the boulevard. But I was oblivious to everything happening around me because even if the train is delayed I was only a mile away from the apartment. A disheveled man in his mid-40s asked me if he could borrow my phone to call someone and surprise-surprise I said yes. "There are firemen parked nearby so he won't actually run away with my phone", I rationalized. He made a call and said something like "I been waiting at McClintock for half an hour. Where you at?" He returned my phone with it smelling like cigarettes. The train pulled up shortly after and I got on. The five-minute walk from the train station to my apartment felt like it would never end but eventually my adventurous shopping trip did conclude with me getting back at 9.30 pm.

The 10-mile Bike Ride

The Grid bike

In the first week of April, the city of Tempe, celebrated Bike to Work week which was an attempt to promote the healthy and carbon neutral mode of transportation i.e. cycling. To encourage more people to bike to work, the bicycle sharing app, Grid Bike offered a free 7-day pass to it's users. To me it sounded like a great opportunity to get back on the road so one particular Sunday when I had nothing planned I thought to myself "Why not bike to the bookstore I've been meaning to go to."

The map said it's only 5.6 miles away which would be a 33 minute ride. I filled a water bottle, kept a snack bar and took off. It was a sunny day but the wind resistance helped me cool off. There were so many sights to see that I kept stopping to take pictures and since it was sweltering hot I had to frequently pause for a drink of water. I always say the best way to really see a city is on a bike because you're not confined by a metallic car frame and closer to the ground. I'm not gonna lie, part of my motivation for completing this journey was that there was a Krispy Kreme on the route so it was like hitting two birds with one stone. 

Something fascinating I came across on my way

At the donut shop I had some trouble locking the bike so I had to keep one eye on the door in case some crazy person tried to steal it. I bought a chocolate glazed donut with sprinkles and decided I'd eat it once I arrive at the destination.  On my way I spotted a junkyard with cars lying on top of each other very reminscent of Ed, Edd and Eddy so I took a small detour to get a closer look. The gate was open but I didn't want to go in there alone so I settled for a distant look.

The junkyard

I kept riding and didn't even realize I'm almost at the bookstore. I almost bumped into a right-turning car in the process (because I keep forgetting that in America, you can make a right turn even at a red a light) I checked the time thinking it must have been only a 40 minute ride and I thought maybe my watch had stopped working because it showed me that 90 minutes had passed. (I guess I'm much slower than the average bike rider). So I locked the bike at the rack outside the store without realizing that would cost me $2 for parking it at a non-designated spot.

Bookman's

The bookstore was huge with sections dedicated to every category of books. Not only that, they had vinyls, CDs and DVDs. There was another section you could buy used action figures and figurines at half the price. One display case had swords for sale and there was an entire rack of boards games and collectible comic books. I found a book by Anne Rice that I couldn't find anywhere in Pakistan but I didn't buy it because  it was $8 and I was feeling thrifty. (On second thought I should have bought it.) I only spent some 20 minutes there. There was a GoodWill store next door that I thought I'd check out as well but I had to get out fast because it was kind of depressing with the low lighting and damp air. The old furniture and abandoned toys made me feel uncomfortable. 

I didn't want to make another one and a half hour drive so I checked the nearest Grid hub where I could return the bike. Before starting the return journey I ate the Krispy Kreme donut and even though I was starving then it did not live up to the hype. It was an hour half journey to the bike rack and there was a light rail station nearby so that was an added bonus. The ride back was a little tiring because I think I'd pushed my body to the limit but I kept telling myself, just a little while longer and then you'll be free. 

You know that weird feeling when you have been on the cycle too long and your legs are still in motion? Yeah, so my legs felt like jelly and I still had to buy groceries on the way back.

To top it all of my water supply had diminished. At the grocery store I grabbed the things I needed quickly and checked out as soon as I could. Thank God, the bags weren't very heavy. As soon as I got back I jumped into the shower because I was sticky and sweaty. When I checked my phone afterwards, I realized it was a 10-mile bike ride and not what I had planned, but I was pleased with myself for this small achievement!

Old Town Scottsdale

                                                                                              

The main road

One of the souvenir shops

Scottsdale, Arizona is the poshest city in the Phoenix metropolitan area where many influential families and local celebrities live. It is also often mentioned on The Office because Jan Levinson visits her sister there. Scottsdale is said to be the oldest town in the Southwest. They have revived the old Western cowboy vibe by following a certain theme and adding a museum dedicated to that era. I had heard it is one of the must-see places nearby so one day I got on the bus (couldn't find my horse) and rode into town.

I got off on Scottsdale Road and decided to walk a bit to get an idea of where to go first. Because it was 4pm, the museum had already closed so I walked into a street which had a gift shop and souvenir stores. There were shops with Native American paraphernalia such as dreamcatchers, jewelry and weaves. You could also buy Arizona themed gift items like mugs, caps, t-shirts and what not. One particular store had African jewelry and wood carvings and a sign said they were authentic. I knew I wouldn't have enough space in my suitcase for the carvings so I settled for one of the beautiful necklaces. 

I doff my hat only for those worthy of it

The store next door advertised henna tattoos and when I walked in I thought I heard a Strings song and I literally couldn't believe my ears! But then when the next song on the playlist was also Indian I figured it was to keep in with the Henna theme. The display case for another one of the stores was so beautiful, with stuffed animals, Native American headgear and hunting tools. I walked around and looked at all the restaurants and bars from outside. 

Sitting on a bench by the duck pond

There was a park nearby with a beautiful building next to it which on a closer look turned out to be the museum. Lush green grass is not a very common sight in Phoenix so I decided to sit by the duck pond for a while and take it all in. After that I walked up the path and saw an elderly couple sitting with their dog so I said hello to them and asked them if I could pet her. It was giant rescue which they thought to be a golden-retreiver and collie mix. 

I got thirsty soon after so I Googled the nearest coffee shop. It suggested a place named Sip. It was a bar/coffee shop with an outdoor patio and the bartender was extremely good looking. I ordered an iced mocha latte and just took my time to stare at the man preparing my drink (couldn't help myself). I took my drink and decided it was time to head back so I plugged in my headphones, and because the coffee had put me in such a great mood, started singing along to the music. Near the bus stop I saw a man walking towards me and I stopped singing because I felt kind of embarrassed. When he approached me he said "Why'd you stop? You're a good singer" and even though I am sure he hadn't actually heard me, I smiled and thanked him all the same. 

In conclusion, all my lone adventures taught me one thing or another. One of those things is to step out of my comfort zone and do things that scare me. Although, I have to note that on all three occasions I did not tell anyone where I was going and that was really stupid and reckless. I will try to keep up this habit even though I am not sure if I would be comfortable with going on shopping, biking or sightseeing trips all alone in Pakistan but I could join community events even if I do not have anyone to go with. 

So wish me luck!