An Agent From an Enemy Government Tried to Recruit me
The real-life story of how I was stalked by a foreign spy.
I never expected that, of all the people in the world, I would be the one to find myself in what looked like the prologue of a Cold-War era spy thriller. But, last week, it happened. Reality imitated fiction.
First of all, a disclaimer: for my personal safety’s sake, I cannot give you every exact detail of this story. Names of places and acquaintances will be omitted since I am aware that specific references could get me on the radar of some pretty nefarious people.
It all started when a professor with whom I am currently collaborating suggested I attend a conference about a topic I’m studying for my Ph.D. thesis. Pretty common stuff for researchers and aspiring professors like me and usually a great opportunity to network.
When the date came, I arrived at the university campus especially early in the morning. The atmosphere inside the small auditorium felt timid and underwhelming. There must have been merely around 20 people attending. It was clearly a niche event, not tailored for the general public in any sense.
I ended up zoning out for a few moments that morning. Getting caught up in the thoughts and ideas that live inside of my own mind felt more…
