📍 The Time I Got Lost in Manchester (And Really Could’ve Used an eSIM)

Travel has always been exciting — that rush when you land, the thrill of a new place, the stories you’ll collect. But let’s be honest: before the internet, it was also a logistical nightmare. Getting lost wasn’t just a possibility — it was practically guaranteed.

Need proof? Family road trips.

I grew up watching my parents absolutely lose it at each other in the front seat because Dad refused to look at a map. Mum would be flipping through the Whereis book like it was an emergency medical manual, while Dad insisted he knew exactly where we were going (spoiler: he didn’t). Every wrong turn turned into a full-blown domestic. By the time we actually got to the beach house, no one was speaking.

Now? You land, open Google Maps, book an Uber, and get on with your life. No screaming, no confusion, no sitting in the backseat wondering if your parents will be divorced by dinner. Technology has done us all a favour.

The Time I Really Could’ve Used an eSIM

I learned the true pain of old-school travel the hard way. Picture this: 21, wide-eyed, in Manchester, chasing a man (look, it was the early 2000s), and genuinely thinking I was nailing adulthood.

One night, after far too many Jaegermeister bombs at a pub lock-in, one of the guys kindly flagged down a “minicab” for me. If you’re under 30, these were the sketchy, unlicensed predecessors to Uber — cash only, no meter, no tracking, just vibes.

I passed out. He kept driving. When I woke up, I was lost, broke, and had no idea where I lived. So he kicked me out onto some dark random street at 4 a.m.

There I was: disoriented, alone, hiccupping into the night air, clutching a ciggie like it might point me toward salvation. In the distance: a phone box. My lifeline. I used my trusty international phone card and called the only person I could think of — my dad.

It was 4 p.m. in Australia. He picked up the landline, probably mid-coffee, and all he heard was:
“Dad, I’m lost. I don’t know where I am. There are dodgy guys outside the phone box!”
Then I panicked and hung up.

He, in turn, went full Mission Control, calling my boyfriend’s mum, waking up half of Manchester. I was eventually found ugly-crying at the end of the street — not even far from home.

Lesson? Never forget your address. Also: an eSIM would’ve changed everything.

eSIM: Travel, But Without the Drama

Fast-forward to now. Travel’s still just as exciting, but thankfully, a lot easier.

No desperate “Dad, help” phone calls.

No untrackable cab rides.

No begging strangers to help you find a payphone like you’re in a 90s thriller.

Because now? We have eSIMs.

You land. You connect. You’re online in seconds — checking your map, messaging your mum, tracking your cab, maybe even ordering a flat white if the airport café’s app is savvy.

Here’s what kind of eSIM suits your style:

Because adventure is one thing. Blind panic with no data is another.