About 5 yrs ago I started getting random emails. One time it was “Track your order here!” from a regional UK Pizza Hut. A wine merchant in London thanked me for my interest in a bulk order of red. Argos sent the receipt for a 5m Extension Lead & really, REALLY wanted my feedback.

I was like, no problem! It’s either a very sophisticated phishing attempt; another Hannah Bath somewhere has just entered her email wrongly; or judging from Hannah Bath’s excellent purchasing decisions, it might actually be me!

Then in the latter half of last year I got a stream of automated emails from a ski resort in Colorado, instructing me how to set myself up on the employee portal. I’m like, wow, I’m living and working in Colorado? I. Am. COOL!

Can I just say at this point that each time I got one of these emails I tried to forward it to the other Hannah Bath using my (our) name with different combinations of ‘.’ and’_’ but each time, the email just found its way back to me.

So not only was I leading a double life of red wine, pizza, electrical connections and skiing, but was now just forwarding emails about it repeatedly to myself. What a brag.

But also I started thinking...this is ridiculous. This other Hannah Bath is travelling around the world, having a great time, and has no idea I’m starting to get more and more of her emails. It just doesn’t feel right! (ie. I was super curious and also it was getting a bit much)

I did some sleuthing (on FB, let’s be honest) and among the various other Hannah Baths there, narrowed it down to one.

Her name was… Hannah Bath. She lived in REGIONAL UK; did a hospitality course which maybe needed a bulk order of RED WINE; was studying so probably needed an EXTENSION CORD; I guess she ate some pizza at some point?; and she had recently UDPATED HER LOCATION TO COLARADO.

So like a stalker, I messaged this Hannah Bath on Facebook. I said something like….”Apologies for the random message, but I think I've been getting some emails that were meant to go to you. Did you recently start a new job in Colorado?”

It felt like a doppleganger mystery that I was destined to solve, with five years of misdirected emails that needed to be sent to their rightful place. I saw the little dots come up that show she was typing… I was on the EDGE OF MY SEAT

“Oh, sorry, yeah. You can just cancel them x.”

Yep, sorry everyone, confirming that email is CANCELLED.

I replied something like “um okay but what’s your actual email address so I can forward things to you?” Turns out her actual email had two numbers in it that are different to mine. She had been getting her email wrong for five years and frankly wasn’t that bothered by it?!?!

Anti-climactic. I was pretty disappointed that there was no mystery, just a case of forgetfulness (a very Hannah Bath trait).  I forwarded the emails and went about my comparatively boring life.

THEN a couple of weeks I got my PAYSLIP for my work in Colorado! So I had to google the resort, search for the HR manager’s name, find his email address on the company contact list, and ask him to update the direct deposit to my current bank account details

…well, that’s what I’d do if I was Evil Hannah Bath (she lives in NZ). I actually just copied in the other me on the email and said “Hello, you’ve emailed this to the wrong Hannah Bath. Please change your records to reflect that the other me’s email address is xxxx@xxxx...”

Anyway, only bringing this up because apparently Hannah Bath has subscribed to the Gold Coast Bulletin? I got the confirmation email a few weeks ago & today it appears Hannah Bath’s payment bounced, so the Gold Coast Bulletin would very much like us to update our payment details.

I might have to do a double shift at the resort.