Going to do this post via handwriting. #different
[Start here for the typed version]
Anywho, if you’ve eaten with me you know that I can be quite annoying. I am picky and I ask for substitutions with 90% of what I order. I look at it as I’m getting what I really want.
How did this begin?
2 years ago I was eating salad and I mumbled about dressing on the side. These guys actually “car-washed” my salad with dressing. I was angry with every bite.
HATRED.
From that shitty experience I learned I should always say something if I’m not happy with my meal. Lesson learned.
Recently, I got invited to speak at a conference in Moscow, Russia.
Promises of Vodka showers, amazing food, Russian women and all-expenses paid.
BOOMTOWN. It’s good to be Noah.
So when I didn’t get a schedule, tickets or hear anything until a week before we were supposed to leave, I became a bit skeptical.
Lesson learned: TRUST YOUR GUT
Sometimes your body feels weird or you just have a hunch. Don’t push that down. This is different than fear. This is when the situation seems like a bad thing.
So fast forward to my trip to Russia.
- 1- Ended up MCing the conference, surprise.
- 2- Got a house with no Wifi located in the middle of nowhere.
- 3- A day mentoring startups (didn’t know I was doing this)
- 4- Hey let’s go to dinner, 4 hours later we arrive. Change of plans.
- 5- Let’s go have drinks, surprise presentation to a company.
Lesson: There is NO free lunch. Ever.
Okay, so I kinda sound like a whiny bitch, but there’s another lesson learned.
I had a good time and got to hang with some amazing people (including some millionaires).
Personally, I like things planned. This [trip] wasn’t at all.
You can choose to fight and be unhappy OR you can accept and learn for future experiences.
Your emotions and experience are up to you.
112 responses to “Learning from a Shitty Experience”
Honeymoon in Spain where we rented a car, ditched the tour guides and tore it up all along the southern coast stopping at any and every place that seemed interesting. In Madrid we even looked up and found a street named after a possible ancestor of mine named just like me! We even made it across the Med to Morrocco where everyone wanted to scam us for every euro we had. Even though Morocco was as corrupt as can get, we want to go again but this time spending more time and just getting lost in the medina away from the tourists. Boom!
Walking along the Kali Gandaki river valley in Nepal with my now wife in 98. A 3mile wide river bed & 2 7000m separated by 40miles peak to peak. Just aweinspiring
Loving your work man
I’m a big believer in being extremely positive, and guarding my ‘feels’ against negativity. I find there is no need for it.
I really enjoyed: “you can accept and learn for future experiences”, it hit the nail on the head. However, how do you not repeat the same mistake again? Vigilance and summaries are my answer. Rereading ‘golden nuggets’ of learning that I’ve gained from less than ideal (read: shitty) situations is a good way to pass a car / bus / airplane / hyperloop ride.
The best place I’ve visited? A popup IBM museum in New York (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JVrXAsYd1Wk#at=75). At the time I was doubting my future as a coder. This shocked my system and reminded me of all the important work that still needed to be done.
Ha ha ha I loved your post on a napkin or whatever. I loved that.
My favorite trip, and excuse me for not being as worldly as all of you seem to be, is always a lil’ road trip across the midwest. I love the endless hours of driving through corn and wheat. And, the small towns full of dorky people. It makes me happy.
the end.
Best travel experience was a 9 month trip that I took a LONG time ago. It was dark and wet the whole time. I’d push on the walls, and people would push back… real freaky. Everything was mumbled and they kept playing Mozart right in my f***ing ears. They thought it would make me smarter. I was so mad when I arrived, I peed right on the obstetrician.
Thanks for the cool post. I totally believe in the gut feelings. Glad you made it through! And I could read your handwriting surprisingly well. There should be more handwritten blog posts out there.
P.S. Anyone else been naked and wet in a room full of people? Shrinkage, guys… Shrinkage…
You know as the saying goes, experience is the hardest teacher. First you get the test, then you learn the lesson!
This was a great example.
A great place to visit is somewhere where it is out of your comfort zone, not in Bermuda or somewhere where you can check out girls.
It is places like Saudi Arabia, India, Singapore – these places will change you forever as a person.
Tokyo was amazing and I was surprised by how amazing Japanese food is, always defaulting to getting sushi when at Japanese restos here in the States.
Namibia, with all its dirt, rocks and sand, was beautiful. Laying on the ground looking at the milky way through the clear night sky, amazing.
No tacos in either place though, so there’s that mark against them.
The best place I have visited…is okdork.com because it inspires me, encourages me, challenges me and keeps me sane! (Now I really, really could use a moleskine…)
Thanks!
My wife and I decided to go to DC on a whim (no plans, no reservations). Got there, no hotel available, stayed 30 miles away. 1st day we didn’t really know how to use the subway walked in 90 degree heat all day, hated life. Drove back to hotel 30 miles away. Back to DC next day. Nice gentleman showed us how to read the subway maps and introduced us to the pay one fee ride all day ticket. Life is good. Decide to go to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Arrive there around midnight. No rooms anywhere. Ask the wife if God might have impregnated her. She says no. Drive to Dover, Delaware. Get stopped in DUI checkpoint. Get through no problem. Find another hotel. No rooms. Lady at the desk calls several hotels & they have no rooms because there is a military exercise going on at Dover Air Force Base and a NASCAR race at Dover Speedway or whatever the hell it’s called. Drive back to Maryland. Pay $150 to a guy behind glass like a freaking Cinemark so I can sleep for 3 hours in a crappy hotel room. Wake up and drive home to Ohio praying for fire hail to rain down on the state of Delaware. It doesn’t happen but Joe Biden becomes Vice President. Fate hates me. The wife and I vow to never travel on a whim ever again.
“I don’t have a bad handwriting, I have my own font”
Hey Noah, great post!
You were in India, right?
All driver said “only 1 hour”… then we stopped 2 times for family visit and having lunch in the middle of nowhere! lol
There I studied similar stuff just like you.
I think it’s a must to articulate if you’re unsatisfied. Holding back causes stress and it harms both sides.
Conflicts resolves anger so in longer-perspective it’s a lot better.
I studied in India the other side or the sword too. Always accept if I can’t change and relax at least. Don’t be tooooo west-minded.
I know I’m kickin-ass – but please DON’T send me FREE notebook!
I just read somewhere that there’s NO FREE LUNCH EVER! 😉
Do Eagle pose or Dancing Shiva instaed! It helps you accept unexpected future events.
Excellent post Noah! I actually read the entire thing (The handwriting version). Your handwriting is almost as bad as mine! jk
Anyway, one of my most favorite places to visit is Dana Point, California.
Nearly every view has that “Pacific Northwest” feel but without the rain and cloudiness. It’s absolutely beautiful. You can take a whale watching tour with the world-famous, “Captain Dave.” When I went last time, we saw a blue whale! Yes, that’s one of the most rarest and largest mammals in the entire world! And, we were literally within 10 feet of it! Talk about an amazing feeling to realize just how small we are!
I, too, (I never know where commas go either!) am hoping quoting odork=moleskin?
Thanks!
Anyway, you should go sometime if you’ve never been. I have a few friends who would be glad to let you “crash” at their place for a week or so (No cost…They might want to take you to lunch sometime though to share ideas! Like you mention, there’s no “free lunch!” lol)
I used your last line, “Your emotions and experience are up to you” late last night with my girlfriend. She loved it. I had to tell her I got it from the “Great Sumo” himself! (She’s not into any internet-related stuff so she had no idea what I was talking about). But, it chuckled to myself anyway.
Dang you’re good. Email me your address.
Chu Chi Tunnels, Vietnam.
Semi-Automatic, Automatic Rifles, mazes of Underground Tunnels, secret Mortal Kombat style death traps.
Takes you back to Full Metal Jacket times. Also, proof of why the Americans lost…
http://bit.ly/136Ic3V
If you have any desire to surf…or learn, and if you love tacos and women which I know you do. Definitely go to Playa Santa Teresa in Costa Rica. The best trip I’ve ever taken! Stay at Casa Marbella and eat at Horizons. You will not forget the experience. You can thank me later. Second place is Florianopolis, Brazil (first if women is your deciding factor).
Even if you don’t send the moleskin now you will after you visit either of these places 🙂
I live in London (UK) and traveled USA for two months back in 2010 with two friends. We did the East Coast, South and West Coast. The one place out of all of them that I can honestly say I knew nothing about was New Orleans, however upon arrival we were conveniently picked up by a local taxi drive who began explaining the history of the area. Many people choose exotic islands for their favourite (‘favorite’ 🙂 – Amercian English) place but I can truly say that New Orleans is one place everyone should visit. It felt like the city had a personality, which I am sure has a lot to do with both the recent hurricane and their love of music.
It felt like a place where everyone could express themselves, either through music or dancing. I remember feeling absolutely comfortable sitting in a bar on my own listening to the local Jazz band playing their funky music.
Ps I very much enjoy your blog posts and am grateful for you sharing your experiences with us.
Pps if you send me a Moleskin Notepad I will send you a snapshot of my journal, which I assure you will be worth the read
Great stuff – I am inspired to travel more when I read all the great posts! Don´t want to waste your time so here is my favorite place – Sydney
Simple as that – nothing too extraordinary
Big City, nature, the ocean, cool parties, extremely relaxed people; go surfing whenever you want or enjoy all of what this metropole offers – the best of both worlds! And if you want to be alone or have some adventure – there are long and lonesome roads and places to conquer nearby 😉
Amazing comment is about Serbian mountain called Rtanj. You definitely wont have Wi-Fi there but connection between you and Earth will be amazing. You should go there during the spring for some mushroom hunting, cooked wine and fresh organic food. Im sending you big hug from Bangkok where you are also more then welcome : )
You WIN. Email me your address 🙂
Was headed to Boston from Ft Worth at the height of the Summer 2001. Took a left at Buffalo when I noticed the signs for Niagra Falls.
Slowly I turned, step by step …
When I got to the falls I realized that I could see another country. I had never been on a trip so long as this on my own and now I could make it international.
On the third day in Canada I met Franz cycling between wineries. The next day I bought a bike and a jock and joined him. At the fifth or sixth winiery we lucked into an outdoor family feast of spaghetti and meatballs with the proprietor.
When I returned home to Texas days later and found my washing machine broken I was inspired. I tossed the dingies in the tub and went to town Lucy style stomping grapes.
A wonderfully selfish indulgence. I planned nothing and made the best of everything that came my way. Thanks for inspiring me to recall it again.
Liked this post very much, especially re: trusting My Fucking Gut.
Even though I initially read page 5 as “got a house with no wife as promised…”
I loved Interlaken, Switzerland – like a real-life Disneyworld, in that every corner, every street looked just like a postcard.
Great lesson! I just quoted your last statement to my son who needed a reminder. Very timely! I have several favorites but I’ll mention three: Kyoto, Japan…very ancient and well preserved. Slower paced than Tokyo or some of the other major cities in Japan. Portofino, Italy: it is as lovely as the postcards and paintings and the Mediterranean Sea is bluer than blue! And lucky for me since I live in Colorado, the Rocky Mountains! The vistas at the top of a “14ner” will inspire probably more lessons and true sense of accomplishment! So I’m hoping that quoting odork=moleskin?!?!
Thanks!
It’s yours. Email me your address 🙂
Sorry to hear about Russia. Glad you were to turn this experience around. As for my favourite place. I would say Lake Biwa, Japan. Great for riding your bike around. Heck all of Japan rocks.
Favorite place visited to: Rental house with our best friends.
The ‘place’ doesn’t matter that much (although the Outer Banks, NC kind of beats Michigan…) it’s just being able to hang out with them.
Awesome times.
I can’t pin point one place as my favorite to visit, BUT I will say last summer was a trip of a lifetime. Shortly after I found out that my ex-wife was cheating on me, I threw caution to the wind and decided to join a group of entrepreneurs holding events across America (1 in each state).
The road trip was called #IM48 and was organized by IdeaMensch.com. While the tour went through 48 states, I was fortunate enough to travel through 22 of them beginning in Boston and working my way down the east coast and then across the southern US. (BTW, I love Torchy’s Taco… Fried Avacado Taco… MMMM). I met startup founders in every city and was grateful for this trip at a time I needed it the most.
Alright Derek. Winner winner chicken Dinner.
Favorite trip I’ve ever been on was almost 10 years ago, a road trip to San Diego while I was in college (film school).
I was living in Tempe Arizona and currently in the process of getting evicted due to me and my roommates classy behavior. While packing up my belongings, I received a call from a long time friend from high school, it was his birthday and he was in San Diego from Chicago. I told him the situation I was in and I had no where to go or be really. So I through all my crap in the back of my buddies truck and got on the road.
We get to San Diego meet with the ol crew and drinks start flowing. My buddy I drove with suddenly feels ill. Strange because this guy can drink…I mean seriously drink. He says he starting to feel dizzy and seeing double. I told him to go lay down in the back of the truck and sleep it off, it was only about 9pm, something was off that night.
We continue drinking then decide we should all go to the beach.
My buddy in the truck will not wake up for the end of the world so we grabbed his keys and took the truck, while he remained asleep.
We’re now at the beach me and 3 other friends, all of us began to feel oozy, seeing double, all sounds familiar (what the fuck is happening) before we knew it we all passed out woke up around 4:30am. Conclusion? We’re pretty sure we got fucking ROOFIED!
As I awake I suddenly remember my buddy passed out in the back of the truck. I run over and he’s gone! We had his keys so he must had a spare. I try calling his cell but its dead.
We began walking back to our buddies place. As we get closer I’m seeing bags and a computer in the front of his apt. I notice its all my shit. I see a note, it read something like, “I thought we were friends, you drugged me, stole my car and left me in the middle of nowhere your a piece of shit, your lucky I didn’t take and sell your shit have fun getting home.” I tried calling him a million times trying to explain what happened. No answer. I actually ended up staying in San Diego dropped out of college, traveled all around California lived in Monterey, SF, Santa Cruz doing odd film and graphic design jobs went down to LA snuck into a handful of major studios trying to get my resume out there, landed a job in at big motion picture studio and was a director on a shittie home shopping network show. Even though I ended up hating LA I was living my dream.
This was a very dark time for me, my parents wanted to kill me! I was broke without a dollar to my name at times, or a clue if i would eat some days. I had no plan but I knew I would make shit happen and i knew I wasn’t giving up or going home. It was the time of my life.
I didn’t talk to my buddy for almost 4 years. We’re now best friends.
Lesson: With the right mindset chaos can be a grand gift and take you places you never thought imaginable 🙂
?
I went to Korea (South lol) in high school for an internship. On the plane ride there, I played the entire Blue version of Pokemon. Some of the interesting things I did while I was there:
– toured the country on a bus (where I played more Pokemon)
– ate Blood Cake soup, got lost in a shopping district (Dongdaemun)
– watched Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest.
– drank some alcohol (I was only 16!)
– had my first cigarette
I want to do it all over again. Except with my friends, strippers and lots more alcohol!
Your handwriting is like mine! I feel better now, must be in good company 🙂
I think my favourite place I’ve travelled to was Prague in the Czech Republic back in 2008 when it was ramping up to try to get the Euro. I was there for a conference and had the time of my life, met some of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.
Another great post Noah!
Great message Noah. You have shitty handwriting though 🙂 Favorite place for me hands down is Italy. Why? Food, culture, celebration of life, scenery, history, my heritage, architecture….I could go on and on. I got diagnosed with cancer last year and that makes you think about how you want to spend the rest of your days on the planet. Luckily, it looks like I get a second chance so my goal is to get to a point financially where I can spend half my time in Italy and half here.
What a bummer dude, at least you got to go to Russia!
Moleskine giveaway hey? You sure know how to get people involved.
I’m gonna put my hand up and say *ME ME ME*
Does it count to say your home country – because I love Australia! Although I guess I can’t say it’s somewhere I’ve travelled to, except after returning there from stints in Europe.
This time round, my favourites have been Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia because they’re all quite off the beaten track. Got to meet some very amazing and down to earth people, and it teaches you about appreciating the small things in life.
However, I do love the hustle and bustle of living in busy ol’ London town, now. Especially after yesterday, when I managed to snap a picture with the mayor, Boris Johnson on our rides home from work.
Cheers dude
Hi Noah.
I had a great travel experience in Paris. I planned almost every second of it.
But really, I’m writing this post to say thank you for putting this out there. I’ve been fighting my gut in a certain situation. It seems “too good to be true”. And my head keeps saying “But if it is true…it will be amazon.” But my gut says “no”. I needed this reminder.
Hey Noah – Ok… bit of a challenge reading your handwriting…. but who doesn’t love a good challenge. Way fun post. And… welcome to Life 101… Does anything ever go exactly as planned.???
T
I should have been a doctor. Where is your fav place?
McLeod Ganj (aka Little Tibet), India.
Such a peaceful and happy place.
Cheers!
I was 19 years old, and was sold a “Florida vacation package” by one of my neighbors at that time – jet-skis, cruise, hotel stay, vouchers for food at restaurants, free Disney and universal studios tickets and VIP tickets to shows. We called and confirmed all of the trip details with the secretary…
So i booked my flights with my girlfriend and went down to Orlando.
WE WERE SOOO EXCITED!!!!
So once we landed to the OIA we took a cab from the airport to the “agency address” which was supposed to give us all the promised accommodations in the package. When we got there and they saw my drivers licence the lady at the desk was like “Oh, you’re just 19, you don’t qualify for this package”….
We explained we had previously called to confirm and gave all of our details including our CC info – but she declined to help…
After a couple of hours of bitching and getting to the office manager – they sent us to a 1/2 star shitty ass motel down in Orlando, no transportation, no discounts on anything, NADA…
It ends up – that “Vacation Package” was one of those time share hooks…
That whole trip was set off on the wrong foot. We had only allotted $400 to bring to this trip – which ran out pretty fast.
What an experience, lol….
We were traveling from NJ
Fav place lived- London. Been here 6 years now. Greatest city on earth. Best short visit- in this order: Moscow, Rome, Paris.
Egypt.
It was in 2006 when they won the african cup.
Streets were filled with Egyptians chanting, screaming, spraying aerosol over lighters and waving Egyptian flags.
I was as excited as I was scared.
Besides that, seeing the architecture of the old buildings, and the pyramids, and the museums, and using my camera which looked like a phone to take pictures of King Tut even though it’s not allowed, and pissing in the Mediterranean, and getting to know our hostel owner so well he invited us to eat dinner with his entire family in their mansion.
Phenomenal experience. I would go back in a second.
That is tight Caleb. Thanks for sharing.
Never thought of going there, maybe…
Best trip of my life was the most recent one. This summer took a trip with 8 others cycling through the hills and mountains of Northern Spain/Southern France.
The views were brilliant blue ocean and massive mountains. Cycling was a combination of excruciating pain (going up) and exhilarating thrills (going down).
Oh, and chocolate croissants!
No such thing as a terrible experience with the benefit of hindsight. The worse the experience the better the memories.
Some of my worst experiences at the time are the ones I remember the most:
Shitting my pants on a bus from Agra to Udaipur as a one 17 year old travelling across India as I was desperately trying to impress the old (about 24 year old) traveller I was convinced I would snog. 8 hours later in the midday heat, I was forced to concede that this might be unlikely.
Walking into the very underused Tourist Information Office in Detroit’s Renaissance Tower and asking the slightly surprised guy behind the counter,
“I am English and want to spend some time in town, what do you suggest I do?”
He sat back in his chair, started shaking, then burst out laughing, “Stay alive buddy!”, he said. Hmm.
Ignoring his advice, I went to the Museum of Art there, by bus, a salutory experience in itself. It was a lovely sunny day so I decided to walk back into town, the bus was a little too depressing to be honest.
After about 45 seconds, and one block of walking, I heard a shrill ‘Whoop! Whoop!’ from behind me. Turned to see a big old police car and a cop unwinding his window.
“Hop in. Where do you want to go?”
“Err, goodness, the taxis in this town are a bit different from the ones I am used to”.
“GET IN! Where do you want to go?”
“Thank you. Have I done anything wrong? I really appreciate your kindness”.
“I’m not paid to be kind. We have a job to do and we don’t like overtime. It is easier for me to pick you up and take you where you want to go than to have to do all the paperwork I am going to have to fill out if you keep walking”.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Dickens
They were the best times. The times when things happen are always great.
My favorite place was Halong Bay in Vietnam while backpacking. Took two triple decker boats and strung them together and had lots of shots beers and hanging out with people from all over the world while swimming next to giant limestone cliffs. To be honest it was probably the people that made it what it was.
The Northern California Redwoods; Avenue of the Giants. Everything is in perspective there; my problems seem to disappear.
Best place I traveled to? Colorado. I saw lots of moles skiin’ there.
BAM.
har har. Fine, mild smirk wins. Email me your address.
My most interesting place to visit was Bulgaria. I spent a month there back in 1995. A few years later I found out that I had been there before any US president, Clinton was the first president to visit Bulgaria. I went all over the country, the first time ever traveling to a foreign country by myself at the ripe page of 21. While staying a few nights in a small village on the Black Sea the cafe owner in broken English told me I was the first American to visit their town! It was an eye opening experience for sure that truly shaped my appreciation of home when I returned.
I met this strange guy in Hong Kong once who slept under a desk or something, that was weird.
Then there was North Carolina, a place I lived once and then realized there wasn’t any place I’d ever visited more gorgeous.
I’m getting married. Make it a stop. We’d never met yet if I’d not done the same with Galpert’s trip. 🙂
See you soon!
Oh, and there’s a free place to stay — but I made it clear — it’s 3,000 square feet of floor space and creativity. 🙂
Love,
Angela
Valdivia Chile. It’s a very small city south of Chile, it used to be a rich port during the Spanish years, it has a fort called “Niebla”(fog). The place is right where two rivers merge into the sea, it’s cloudy and rains a lot. I just loved the way people talk, walk and eat fish.
I know you will be in Seattle soon; I live here; wanna have lunch? ;-p
Even though you didn’t take me to Australia with you, my previous experience in Byron Bay and the NSW Hinterlands still stands as hands down one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. Let’s go!
My favorite place that I’ve visited? The launch pad at Kennedy Space Center when there was a shuttle sitting on it for the next days launch. One of the most amazing things a nerd like myself could have seen. It was almost as incredible as visiting the mission control room or seeing the shuttle launch the next day. An amazing place that is responsible for so much technology that we use today. An experience I will never forget!
I’ve traveled throughout the US and abroad. However, the best place I’ve ever visited was my mama’s house, for many years after I moved away from home. She’s gone now, which makes memories of spending time with her very special.
Had a terrible experience this week actually.
Thought I booked identical 7:45a Delta flights between NYC/ATL for the holiday weekend. After my 6:30a arrival and security check-in at the ATL airport (going back to NYC), I realized my flight was 7:45p.
Would have gotten on a standby flight immediately (thanks SkyMiles status) but all flights to NYC from the night prior were canceled. Good times.
Ended up moving from spot 60 to 1, however, after a few more missed flights. Made it home by 5p and WiFi was only $5 all day.
Moleskine me bro!
🙂
Got you mate. Email me your address.
Quito, Ecuador
Unique everything: landscape, food, culture, and perhaps most impressively, incredible graffiti.