🇩🇪 Locked Alone in a Trier Cemetery at Night

What was supposed to be a peaceful evening stroll turned into one of the most surreal experiences of my solo travels... 🌇 Innocent Beginnings After dinner, I spotted a beautiful abbey on Google Maps and thought: "Perfect golden hour shot!" 📸 The navigation led me to an open iron gate—little did I know it was the entrance to a sprawling cemetery. ⚰️ Garden of Stone Inside: ✔️ Two sections of graves, eerily empty ✔️ Crows cawing as sole companions ✔️ Me, whispering: "Western cemeteries are like parks... right?" I wandered for 20 minutes, photographing the abbey from angles that would make Instagram proud—until I realized... THE GATE WAS LOCKED. 🔒 35 Minutes of Terror Screamed "HELP ME!" at passing cars (deaf ears 🚗💨) German April chill seeped into my bones ❄️ Darkness crept in as I weighed options: Climb the spiked fence? (Bad idea) Sleep next to a tombstone? (Worse idea) 👵 Angels in Disguise 1️⃣ A cycling grandpa stopped ("Wait here!") 2️⃣ Two jogging women called the church for backup ⛪ 3️⃣ They stayed to chat (shoutout to small-talk as survival tactic) When the caretaker finally unlocked the gate, I bowed so hard I nearly kissed the ground. 😢 Walking Back, I Cried Not just from relief—but realizing how solo travel breaks you open: That time lost in pitch-black mountains 🏔️ The Air France strike that left me stranded ✈️ And now... nearly becoming a cemetery resident Lesson learned: Always check closing times—especially when graves are involved. #SoloTravelStories #TravelHorror #GermanAdventures #GratefulToBeAlive #CemeterySelfiesWouldveBeenWeird 😅⚰️