When I was a university student of 21 years old at my previous university, I traveled all the way to Hokkaido by train. I went to Wakkanai city, which is the northernmost city in Hokkaido and also in all of Japan. One morning, while staying at an inn in front of the station, I walked for about 10 minutes to the convenience store to buy breakfast. There I bought some food and went back to the station the same way that I came, but when I tried to take out the ticket to ride the train from my coat, I could not find it anywhere.

This ticket was one that could be used to ride the railroad free all over Hokkaido, and it was also my ticket home which was 1500 km from Hokkaido. So, if I lose this ticket, I can’t go home!!

I hurriedly looked for the ticket in my clothes, my bag, and my hotel, but it was in vain. I thought that I might have dropped it on my way to the convenience store, so I went to the convenience store while gazing at the road, but there was nothing there, either! As a last resort, I asked the salesclerk of the convenience store, but I still couldn’t find it.
"What shall I do?" I thought, with my face pale. I walked back to the station with disappointment, walking on the opposite side of the street whose width was 20 meters, and I found my prescious ticket in a bush which was on the side of the street!!!!

I would have never expected the ticket to be on a road that I hadn’t walked before. It was probably blown there by the wind. I would probably never would have found it if I had only looked for it along roads that I had walked before. It was a thrilling experience with the fortunate mixed in with the unfortunate.

　私が21歳の前の大学生の頃、北海道へ鉄道を利用して旅行に行った。北海道最北であり、日本最北の地でもある稚内へ行った時のこと。

　駅前の旅館に泊まり、朝飯を買うべく歩いて10分程のコンビニへ行った。そしてそこで食料を買い、来た道を戻って駅に到着、列車に乗るために切符をコートから出そうとした時、どこにも見当たらない。

　この切符は北海道周遊切符といって北海道内は鉄道線全線がfreeで乗れ、かつ北海道から1500キロ離れた実家までの帰りの乗車券代も含まれている。なので、この切符をなくすと家に帰ることができない！

　私はあわてて着ている服やカバンを探し、泊まった宿まで調べたが、それでもない。ひょってしてコンビニへの途中で落したのではないか、と思い、コンビニまで道路とにらめっこしながら行ってみたがやはりない！　最後のチャンスにコンビニの店員に聞いてみたが、それでも発見することができなかった。

　どうしよう、と顔面蒼白になってコンビニから駅へ歩いた道路幅約20mの道路の向かい側の歩道をとぼとぼと歩いていると、なんとそこの植え込みに大事な切符が！！　全く通らなかった道にあるとは思いもしなかった。おそらく風でそこまで飛ばされたのであろう。来た道ばかり捜していては見つからなかったであろう。なんともドキドキな不幸中の幸いであった。