A Swiss Misadventure: Me, My Trust Issues, and Google Maps

Spiez, Switzerland | July 6, 2025 | Time : 3:00 PM

Today, I had an experience that was so absurd, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh at myself or just sit quietly and reflect on the mountain of poor decisions that led me here.

Let me set the scene.

It’s Day 1 in Switzerland. I landed in Basel, made my way to Spiez, and everything was going more or less as planned. But Switzerland, as I soon realized, isn’t the most English-first country. And so, every small decision came with a bit of hesitation, a quick double-check, a quiet moment of doubt.

After lunch, I checked Google Maps to figure out how to get to my hostel in Leissigen. It showed a bus at 14:38. But my watch (and phone) said it was 13:38. And I, in all my misplaced confidence, thought: “Ah, classic Google glitch. Still thinks I’m in London.” I was so sure of myself that I walked to the bus stop calmly, only to see the bus I should have taken already leaving. And just like that, the next one was—surprise—at 14:38. Exactly as Google said.

So, that was strike one.

With one hour to kill and a bruised ego to nurse, I thought I’d walk down to a lakefront castle I had spotted earlier. Google Maps said 15 minutes downhill. Easy. With my two heavy backpacks, I trudged my way down, had a few minutes of peace by the lake, and started climbing back up just in time for the bus.

But climbing uphill with two overstuffed bags that contained my "minimalist" packing plan felt like dragging my past sins up a mountain. Still, I made it. Sweaty but proud.

And then came the real twist.

I reached the bus stop shown on Google Maps—still in Spiez—but it wasn’t the one I came from. It was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that makes you question your existence. No people. Just roadworks and one lonely bus sign.

Meanwhile, the earlier stop I came from? Full of people. Life. Hope. Humans.

I panicked. I cursed Google Maps showed me a different bus stop this time—one that was probably shutdown due to road works.

Meanwhile, the stop I originally came from had 20–30 people waiting. A clear sign from the universe, but no—I didn’t listen. I stood there, paranoid, second-guessing everything. My mind began spiraling: “Is this even the right place? Is Google Maps messing with me again? Why is no one here?!”So I did the most logical thing: I panicked and ran.

I ran, with my two bags bouncing behind me, back toward the earlier stop.

Midway, I saw the bus. My bus. Cruising in the direction I just ran away from

The driver saw me too. He waved, as if to say, “Sorry, this ship has sailed.” And I just stood there, out of breath, out of time, out of trust.

At that moment, something became clear:It’s not that Google Maps betrayed me. It’s that I have trust issues with Google. GMap just showed the bus stop near to me!!

Maybe I always have. And maybe, today, they caught up with me.

What makes it worse—what really adds flavor to this humble pie—is that I run a technology company. I literally spend my life convincing non-profits to trust tech. And here I was, in one of the most well-mapped countries in the world, refusing to trust the one tool designed to make life easier.

So here I am. At the bus stop. Again. One more hour to go.I’ve already missed two buses because I didn’t trust Google Maps. Let’s see if I can redeem myself with the third one.

Till then, I sit. I reflect. Maybe this trip isn’t just about exploring Switzerland. Maybe it’s about learning to let go. To stop double-checking every direction. To trust the process. To trust the map. To trust… Google.

Sincerely,

A humbled backpacker with a bruised ego and strong calves

P.S. If this happens again, I’m switching to paper maps and a compass. At least then, I’ll only have myself to blame.