My Bag was stolen in Germany

How it Happened

Nothing went according to my plan that day. I was in Erlangen, visiting a friend, and I missed my first bus to Cologne due to unexpected railroad construction that delayed all trains in and out of the station (Yay for German punctuality). I had to book a later bus on the spot, which arrived late at night at Leverkusen Bf.. or so I thought.

I told my friend to pick me up at Leverkusen Bf, but apparently, the bus dropped me off at Cologne HBF instead. It was 10pm, and as you can imagine, I was dead tired by then, and that was when everything fell apart.

As I was eating my Currywurst like a goddamn tourist in front of McDonald's, I put my big backpack down and my daypack on the side. I sat on top of my big backpack and started texting my friend, letting her know my new pick-up spot, completely forgetting that my daypack was not wrapped around my arms.

At one point, someone threw a coin near me. I did not look then... until one guy came up to me and told me it was mine. Naturally, when someone poked you, you turned and looked, so I did, and that was when the other guy took my daypack.

I told him it was not mine, and he suddenly told me that my bag was stolen. Obviously, the thief was unable to run or create much fuss, so he could not have been far when I realized. But this guy misdirected me and told me that the thief went inside the train station.

My heart sank further and further as I was unable to track the thief. By then, I realized that all was lost. I came back, and, as expected, the other guy was gone.

There is a German phrase that perfectly describes what descended upon me that day:

"Ein Unglück kommt selten allein."

Which loosely means, when sh*t happens, it happens hard!

So what did I do next? I followed these steps. Here are a few things you should do right after something like this happens:

How to deal with it?

0. Don't lose your shit (physically)

This may be counterproductive, but the easiest way out is not to get your stuff stolen in the first place. Always wrap your belongings around your arms, especially in crowded areas like train/bus stations in big cities.

Don't let your guard down, not even when you are tired, because if you do... you bet your ass there will be someone waiting to take advantage of that. The world is a cruel, cruel place sometimes.

1. Don't lose your shit (mentally)

Don't panic when it happens. Keep calm and start evaluating what you lost, and find the most reasonable next step. To keep your mind at ease, don't worry too much about things that are replaceable, like a laptop or a passport. Those can be managed later.

It is good to run this scenario in your mind before it happens sometime so you can act promptly when it does. Since I'm traveling all the time, I knew this was going to happen someday, so I had my passport copied and saved on my Dropbox, while all work-related documents were backed up on Google Drive.

2. File a Police report

This is very important. You will need the police report to get your temporary passport at the embassy when you apply for one later. It may be difficult to attain one at the scene, but do try to find the nearest police station and file one.

In the case of the German police, I was unable to get one at the train station because the police said they were overwhelmed with similar cases. There were at least four victims in the past five minutes, and some of the police forces were on duty helping the refugees.

Thankfully, the German police system is all connected, so I was able to file a report in a village where my friends live. It also helps to have someone who speaks the language (Thank you, Nicole and Tobi!), as the process can be long and confusing.

3. Find the embassy and get your passport

With your police report, find the nearest embassy or consulate and obtain your temporary passport. The nearest Thai embassy was in Berlin, so I took a bus directly there the next day and got my stuff sorted out in one day. No trouble at all.

The documents I prepared were printed-out copies of the police report, my passport, and my national ID card, 2 photos I took from the photo machine found in any U-Bahn station, and a filled-in lost passport form I got at the embassy. Twenty minutes later, I had my temporary passport.

4. Go on a shopping spree

Some people might not have the luxury to go back home right away, so finding a new replacement for your lost items is your next step. It's probably one of the best parts of this sh*tstorm as well.

Buying an international Macbook Pro in Germany is a pain in the ass

Since I have to constantly work while traveling, my MacBook was a priority, and boy, was it difficult to get one in Germany. The problem with buying a MacBook in Germany was that they only had a German keyboard in stock.

There were some online stores that sold MacBooks with the US keyboard, but you needed to have a German credit card to order one, so that plan went out the window. To make matters worse, it takes at least a week to order from the Apple online store, and I was unable to wait that long.

I eventually found a perfect solution to my MacBook problem. It was Amazon UK and its ridiculously fast delivery. I ordered a MacBook Pro with a US keyboard from Amazon UK with one-day delivery. I shipped the package to my hostel and received it the next day. Yay for first-world infrastructure!

5. Suck it and move on

It was my fault... there is no denying that. I completely accept it the moment I realized my bag was gone forever. You cannot blame anyone, and you cannot expect anyone to be responsible for your belongings.

It took me a while to let go of the fact that I lost 17,000 travel photos and videos, but I had to, and I did. Don't be too hard on yourself. Shit happens. Give yourself some time to recover. I had my friends to comfort me when I was in Cologne, and that helped a lot.

6. Have fun with it

"How the f*ck would I have fun with the situation?" you may ask. Well, I don't know about you, but since my MacBook Air was stolen and with iCloud, I can lock and send a personalized message to the thief, I have been sending some very insulting personal messages to the thief. Something along these lines...

"The Interpol will f*ck you up when you least expected.. while you are taking a sh*t. Prepare your an*s."

What I would do differently

Do you remember the feeling after you woke up and realized that it was just a bad dream? Well, I felt the opposite when I woke up because my stuff was still stolen. Many times, I amused myself by imagining what I would do differently if I could turn back time.

1. Backup my photos and videos

I knew I should have done this, but I was always procrastinating and ended up believing that I would never have my hard drive stolen. Boy, how wrong I was. Backup your photos and videos somewhere safe, and do it regularly.

Due to my negligence, I lost all my photos and videos of my time in Lyon and Mont Blanc (!) without any kind of backup. Oh, the 12 hours I spent in Chamonix and all the great photos of the French Alps...

2. Keep all my valuables with me at all time

The keyword here is "with me". Because I had my wallet, camera, and phone with me in my jacket, I was able to prevent the situation from going from "bad" to "f*ck my life."

3. Spread my valuables in different places

Do not put all your eggs in one basket. I spread my valuables out, but it was not enough. I should have put my hard drive in my big backpack. Here is what I would do: I would keep the most important stuff in the inside pockets of my jacket, the second most important stuff in my backpack, and the least important in my daypack. The likelihood of people stealing your daypack is much higher than stealing your 15 kg backpack.

4. Attached all my belongings to me at all time

I usually wrap my bags around my arms at all times, but due to my tiredness and not wanting to spill Curry Wurst on my precious daypack, I let my guard down and put my daypack on the side. That was the decision I will regret for many weeks to come.

5. Stand somewhere less crowded

Nothing screams "vulnerable tourist" quite like an Asian-looking person with their backpack on the floor, standing in front of McDonald's, eating Currywurst at 10 pm. That was a dead giveaway.

6. Don't get distracted by anything

Do not get distracted by anything in crowded areas if you were not expecting to be distracted by it.

7. Get all my expensive items insured

Last but not least, I wish I had all the expensive items, like laptops, insured so that at least I can buy a new one if things like this happen again. I did have travel insurance, but it only covers health and stolen items in case of a break-in robbery. Therefore, I did not get compensated for this situation.

If you are reading this, you are either already a victim or just curious about how these thieves operate. No matter what situation you are in, just remember to stay calm and move on. Don't let bad people ruin your trip.

Anything can be replaced... even memories. I now have a reason to go back to all those places I'd been to in the past two years. Go out there and show the world how strong you are.

Further Reading for Inspiration

Looking for more articles to help inspire you to travel more? Here is a collection of articles you might like:

• Looking for a complete backpacking itinerary for Europe? Here is the 3 Months Itinerary for Europe.
• Packing for a trip to visit a region as big as Europe is extremely daunting. Here's a packing guide to help you: What to Pack for Europe - The Essential Packing List.
• Want to visit Europe in winter? Better prepare for the cold. Here's a winter packing guide to help you: What to Pack for Europe in Winter - The Essential Packing List.
• Hiking to the Everest Base Camp is one of the most memorable epic moments of my life. Here's a long-read piece about my experiences hiking the Everest Base Camp: On My Way To Everest Base Camp.
• Ever wondered what it is like to travel the world on a third-world passport? Check out: Traveling The World On A Third World Passport.
• Here's why I always celebrate turning a year older with a hike: Climbing Kilimanjaro On My 33rd Birthday.
• Are you currently planning a trip around the world and looking for cheap countries to visit? Here are the 13 Cheapest Countries To Visit in the World.
• Traveling in Europe can be cheap, really cheap. These are the 12 Cheap European Countries to Visit.
• Looking for the most beautiful travel blogs to follow? Here are the 24 Most Beautiful Travel Blogs to Follow.
• For adventurers and backpackers out there, here are the 10 Best Adventure and Backpacking Blogs You Should Follow.
• I truly believe we need more Asian representatives in the English-speaking travel blogging industry, especially for blogs about Asia. Here are the Top 10 Kick-Ass Asian Travel Bloggers To Follow.
• Did you know that you can travel without leaving your couch? Here are the 8 Great Travel Books You Should Read.
• For the best travel videos to inspire you to travel even further, here are the 20 Most Creative Travel Videos of All Time.
• If you are looking for travel vloggers to follow on YouTube that aren't cringeworthy, check out: 10 Best Travel Vloggers to Follow On YouTube.
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• A photo is worth a thousand words. Here are the 25 Most Beautiful Travel Photos I Ever Took From Around The World.
• Ever wondered what it is like to be a travel blogger during COVID-19? Check out: Being A Travel Blogger During COVID-19 - What Is It Like?
• Looking for off-the-beaten-path destinations to visit this year? Check out: 8 Best Off-The-Beaten-Path Destination to Visit.
• Can't travel internationally for the time being? How about traveling in your own country? Here are the 7 Reasons Why You Should Travel in Your Own Country.
• To find the most inspirational travel quotes and captions to go with your photos on your Instagram, check out 34 Short and Unique Traveller Quotes for Instagram.
• We often hear bad stories about locals from travelers, but what about the other way around? Here are some of the notorious stories of terrible backpackers.
• Have you ever felt that you do not belong in a place you were born in? Read this: Where Is Home? - My Quest In Search Of Where I Belong.
• People often preach about how important it is to live in the moment, but sometimes, that may not be such a good idea. Here is The Problem With Living In The Moment.
• Want to embark on your first solo trip but not sure where to go? As a long-time solo traveler, here are my favorite places based on real experiences: 10 Incredible Travel Destinations for Solo Travelers.
• Solo traveling is not for everyone, and even though I love it to death, it is not always flowers and sunshine for solo travelers. Here are the 10 Things I Hate Most When Traveling Solo.
• Travel friends come and go, but that may not be such a bad thing. Here's why you should embrace your travel friends: A Life Of Brief Encounters.
• Hiking is life. Here's why: One Year Of Incredible Discomfort - 10 Things I've Learned From Climbing Mountains.
• Here's why having no plan is the best plan: Magical Things Happen When You Have Nothing To Do - The Art Of Doing Nothing.
• Is life getting you down? Here's why you can't always blame life for everything: Life Doesn't Suck. We Just Suck At Living It.
• Want to know why I chose to travel alone? Read this: We Travel Alone, NOT To Be Alone.
• For a meaningful solo trip, you need to share it with someone. Here is why Happiness Is Only Real When Shared.
• Traveling is no longer for the rich. Here is why: "People Think I'm Rich".
• The Himalayan Mountain is one hell of a teacher. Here are the 7 Life Lessons The Himalayas Taught Me.
• Want to travel alone but scared that you might get bored out of your mind? Here is How To Enjoy Yourself And Have Fun While Traveling Alone.
• Want to start traveling solo too? Here is What It's Like to Travel Alone.
• Here is a simple story on how I started traveling: F*ck It, I'll Do This Alone.
• For more inspiring articles like this, visit my Inspiration page.