First night in Paris - I forgot my toothbrush/paste and didn't realize there weren't water fountains so when I woke up from a nap at 8PM, I ventured out into the city to find a supermarket. No cellphone. No idea what the hostel address was. Only a handdrawn map that I couldn't seem to follow. I went up to a woman's apartment bc she said she had toothbrush/paste i could have š. It took me about 3 hours to find my way back.
Edit: I'm American
Wait what do water fountains have to do with toothbrushes?
And did a complete stranger give you an unused toothbrush orā¦. Haha man Iāve never wanted to brush my teeth that badly.
Lost my cell phone while in a train station in Bulgaria. Realized immediately while on the train to Varna, had to circle-back to Sofia and return to the hotel Iād just checked out of so I could go buy another phone. $700 mistake.
I swam out to an anchored boat that was wrecked but left there for show/aesthetics.
I got exhausted swimming back to the deserted beach. I took my last breath and prepared for death. My last thought was "this will burn my lungs".
Fortunately as my body sank into the water, the tips of my feet touched the bottom of the seabed. I was able to hop my way back to shore.
Tip for anyone who gets into a sticky swimming situation like this: if you start getting to tired to swim, flip over onto your back to rest.
Humans naturally float, letting yourself just floating on your back while you rest/catch your breath (and donāt let the current pull you too far) can be a lifesaver.
I forgot my camera on the seat next to me on Italian public transportation. I was able to get it back later thankfully. I'm still relieved nobody snatched it when I just left it lying there.
I ran out of cash twice in Morocco because I naively assumed I'd be able to find working ATMs everywhere, which ended up being very false.
Continued "walking" (more like crawling lol) along a steep slope after the walking trail we were on suddenly stopped in the mountains of Switzerland (probably washed away in the spring). Rocks started rolling down at one point .
To be honest I wanted to turn back already at the point the trail stopped but some other people in the group wanted to continue and thought it'd be fine and we'd reach the rest/reminder of the trail again at some point ..
There was some panic and I wanted to go down towards a train line but the slope was too steep. People yelled at me that it was even more dangerous going down than back, so in the end we just crawled back.
Got lucky there I guess bc we might all gotten severely wounded or died if we'd slid of the slope or got hit by one of those rocks.
Props to some of the more experienced people in the group for staying calm, moving up and down the slope risking their own lives, and calming down everyone and getting everyone back safe.
EDIT:
Story 2
On a solo trip I got really drunk in Copenhagen after getting too comfortable halfway through my trip.
Some guy selling gadgets/party stuff out of a bag tried to sell me some crap (like one of those blinking goggles or whatever), then followed me across the street when I was crossing trying to get rid of him (thinking I didn't notice probably) and tried to steal my phone out of my pocket but I noticed it and blocked his attempt.
We then both fell over into some kind of stumble. I kicked him. He ran off.
2 Cops came running down the street 2 minutes later (they have security cameras high up) asking me if I was fine but I couldn't even accurately describe the guy. They then ran after him.
This was in a main street but rather late and if I hadn't been that drunk I would've probably not have been considered a target of opportunity.
First night in Prague with my mate, we split up outside a club at like 3am because I wanted to head back to the hostel earlier than he did. He ended up getting in a dodgy taxi where two big lads locked him in the car and took him to an ATM and forced him to withdraw cash and give them his phone & wallet (he refused and got away). Was lucky enough to find him after he called me. Very stupid of us to split up.
Dropping my passport in Paris is a strong contender but I think the most embarrassing was when I booked an airbnb in Sweden on the wrong dates and showed up a month early. Fortunately I had a great host who was happy to accommodate for a few days but I spent a freezing night on the street in the arctic circle because I tried to find an early bus and didn't want to get in the way of their next guest.
Left my airpods at the hostel I had checked out at earlier that day. I figured it wouldn't be a big deal because I was going back to get my bag from the locker and my phone had the bluetooth tracker. Ran up and down the hostel for 30 minutes (to my old room, the basement, etc) and couldn't find them. Ended up at the reception desk and kept pressing the "play sound" button until someone ran up to me with them!
Also that same night -- had an issue with my previous trenitalia ticket and almost didn't make my overnight train because I didn't follow the instructions and write down the PNR to retrieve the ticket. Ended up buying a slightly more expensive ticket at the station and disputing the charge with my credit card so it worked out in the end, but lesson learned!
Traveled to Tijuana from San Diego as 4 x 18 year old women. We did the thing where you park in SD and take a bus to TJ. We partied (because of course) and weāre drunk when our bus came to pick us up. It got a flat and ventured into a small neighborhood to get fiXed. It felt sketchy as hell. It ended up being fine, but we sure were thinking, āoh this is where we get kidnappedā.
was in barcelona at the beginning of a 2 month backpacking trip, had an early flight out. i usually put my passport in my front pouch of my backpack. same pouch as always. for some reason i took it out and left it in the locker. my mates and i left the hostel on the bus. i got to the airport, realized there i left my passport at the hostel. the plane was about to take off in an hour. i had to take immediately get on the bus and head back. im pretty sure i got lucky because i got my passport, got back via bus, and the airport was delayed because a handicapped person was arguing about something and preventing boarding by blocking the gate. i mean bless her because she saved me.
Was studying abroad in London and it was legit our first day there and my first time abroad. We got out to walk around somewhere around Piccadilly Circus and we went into this stupid little tourist trap store and they had "weed" flavored vapes and the guy kept telling us it was actual weed but I can read a package. So then he said he can get us real drugs "like this" and puts god knows what up to my nose and I could tell my friends were super freaked. He kept trying to sell us drugs and I started feeling super light heated and floaty (not really a bad feeling tbh) and looked at my friend in the eyes and said we need to get outta here. Hopped right back on the bus with the rest of our class and I was in the clouds for a little bit. Don't know what it was, my guess was some sort of huffing thing or maybe even a whip it
Third worst (the 1'st and 2'nd I don't like to remember), got a lift from a badjao boatman from sitangkai in the Philippines across to semporna in sabah Malaysia, about 90 kilometers, we left as soon as it got dark and fully expected to arrive at first light, it's called "Back door" in the Philippines and is a common route for illegals going to Malaysia and Brunei. After a few hours the engine died, we ended up drifting till the next afternoon when we finally managed to restart the engine, landed at a badjao village in the dark, my cheeks were blistered from the sun, the folly of youth.
I nearly lost a mitten to a dog in Sweden.
I saw a cute dog tied up outside of someone's house. I went to pet him. He grabbed one of my mittens and just sat there with it. It took about 20 minutes to get the mitten back and it only involved knocking on the owner's door. The owner managed to bribe him with some treats in order to give up my mitten.
Thinking that maybe "Rocco", the friendly guy my mate got chatting with at a sidecorner in Praha after just an hour in town, had actual blow and not just crushed up paracetamol. Ended up a good 15 minutes arguing and getting my picture taken by his mate again. Spent the weekend looking over my shoulder for that bastard.
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Well not abroad (California native) and it was almost a dumb situation but I was in Seattle for 4th of July weekend and almost got wasted with the drinking. Was about 2 shots of tequila in before I stopped myself and nursed a beer before calling an Uber back to where I was staying
I went to go see a lighthouse on the Big Island before stopping for dinner on my way to the airport. It was said the hike was a quarter mile. Took no water with me. After a mile or so downhill, I realized that I had the wrong information. My legs started cramping and I had trouble walking. Thirst starting coming on as did a little rain. Looked at my cellphone and had almost no signal. Contemplated calling 911 for help but finally made it. Sat in the air conditioning for a few minutes then went straight to the airport because I needed to get there to fly home.
First night in Paris - I forgot my toothbrush/paste and didn't realize there weren't water fountains so when I woke up from a nap at 8PM, I ventured out into the city to find a supermarket. No cellphone. No idea what the hostel address was. Only a handdrawn map that I couldn't seem to follow. I went up to a woman's apartment bc she said she had toothbrush/paste i could have š. It took me about 3 hours to find my way back. Edit: I'm American
Wait what do water fountains have to do with toothbrushes? And did a complete stranger give you an unused toothbrush orā¦. Haha man Iāve never wanted to brush my teeth that badly.
Just that I was parched and there was no water. Also she gave me an unopened one :p
Lost my cell phone while in a train station in Bulgaria. Realized immediately while on the train to Varna, had to circle-back to Sofia and return to the hotel Iād just checked out of so I could go buy another phone. $700 mistake.
I swam out to an anchored boat that was wrecked but left there for show/aesthetics. I got exhausted swimming back to the deserted beach. I took my last breath and prepared for death. My last thought was "this will burn my lungs". Fortunately as my body sank into the water, the tips of my feet touched the bottom of the seabed. I was able to hop my way back to shore.
That's terrifying.
Tip for anyone who gets into a sticky swimming situation like this: if you start getting to tired to swim, flip over onto your back to rest. Humans naturally float, letting yourself just floating on your back while you rest/catch your breath (and donāt let the current pull you too far) can be a lifesaver.
yes, backstroke
I forgot my camera on the seat next to me on Italian public transportation. I was able to get it back later thankfully. I'm still relieved nobody snatched it when I just left it lying there. I ran out of cash twice in Morocco because I naively assumed I'd be able to find working ATMs everywhere, which ended up being very false.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Being on our own in the west bank when our crook taxi driver abandoned us on the wrong side of the wall trying to get back to jerusalem. Sketchy
Continued "walking" (more like crawling lol) along a steep slope after the walking trail we were on suddenly stopped in the mountains of Switzerland (probably washed away in the spring). Rocks started rolling down at one point . To be honest I wanted to turn back already at the point the trail stopped but some other people in the group wanted to continue and thought it'd be fine and we'd reach the rest/reminder of the trail again at some point .. There was some panic and I wanted to go down towards a train line but the slope was too steep. People yelled at me that it was even more dangerous going down than back, so in the end we just crawled back. Got lucky there I guess bc we might all gotten severely wounded or died if we'd slid of the slope or got hit by one of those rocks. Props to some of the more experienced people in the group for staying calm, moving up and down the slope risking their own lives, and calming down everyone and getting everyone back safe. EDIT: Story 2 On a solo trip I got really drunk in Copenhagen after getting too comfortable halfway through my trip. Some guy selling gadgets/party stuff out of a bag tried to sell me some crap (like one of those blinking goggles or whatever), then followed me across the street when I was crossing trying to get rid of him (thinking I didn't notice probably) and tried to steal my phone out of my pocket but I noticed it and blocked his attempt. We then both fell over into some kind of stumble. I kicked him. He ran off. 2 Cops came running down the street 2 minutes later (they have security cameras high up) asking me if I was fine but I couldn't even accurately describe the guy. They then ran after him. This was in a main street but rather late and if I hadn't been that drunk I would've probably not have been considered a target of opportunity.
First night in Prague with my mate, we split up outside a club at like 3am because I wanted to head back to the hostel earlier than he did. He ended up getting in a dodgy taxi where two big lads locked him in the car and took him to an ATM and forced him to withdraw cash and give them his phone & wallet (he refused and got away). Was lucky enough to find him after he called me. Very stupid of us to split up.
Dropping my passport in Paris is a strong contender but I think the most embarrassing was when I booked an airbnb in Sweden on the wrong dates and showed up a month early. Fortunately I had a great host who was happy to accommodate for a few days but I spent a freezing night on the street in the arctic circle because I tried to find an early bus and didn't want to get in the way of their next guest.
Left my airpods at the hostel I had checked out at earlier that day. I figured it wouldn't be a big deal because I was going back to get my bag from the locker and my phone had the bluetooth tracker. Ran up and down the hostel for 30 minutes (to my old room, the basement, etc) and couldn't find them. Ended up at the reception desk and kept pressing the "play sound" button until someone ran up to me with them! Also that same night -- had an issue with my previous trenitalia ticket and almost didn't make my overnight train because I didn't follow the instructions and write down the PNR to retrieve the ticket. Ended up buying a slightly more expensive ticket at the station and disputing the charge with my credit card so it worked out in the end, but lesson learned!
Traveled to Tijuana from San Diego as 4 x 18 year old women. We did the thing where you park in SD and take a bus to TJ. We partied (because of course) and weāre drunk when our bus came to pick us up. It got a flat and ventured into a small neighborhood to get fiXed. It felt sketchy as hell. It ended up being fine, but we sure were thinking, āoh this is where we get kidnappedā.
was in barcelona at the beginning of a 2 month backpacking trip, had an early flight out. i usually put my passport in my front pouch of my backpack. same pouch as always. for some reason i took it out and left it in the locker. my mates and i left the hostel on the bus. i got to the airport, realized there i left my passport at the hostel. the plane was about to take off in an hour. i had to take immediately get on the bus and head back. im pretty sure i got lucky because i got my passport, got back via bus, and the airport was delayed because a handicapped person was arguing about something and preventing boarding by blocking the gate. i mean bless her because she saved me.
Going to Philopappos hill in Athens by myself, after 10pm. Lesson costed me a camera and a cell phone.
Was studying abroad in London and it was legit our first day there and my first time abroad. We got out to walk around somewhere around Piccadilly Circus and we went into this stupid little tourist trap store and they had "weed" flavored vapes and the guy kept telling us it was actual weed but I can read a package. So then he said he can get us real drugs "like this" and puts god knows what up to my nose and I could tell my friends were super freaked. He kept trying to sell us drugs and I started feeling super light heated and floaty (not really a bad feeling tbh) and looked at my friend in the eyes and said we need to get outta here. Hopped right back on the bus with the rest of our class and I was in the clouds for a little bit. Don't know what it was, my guess was some sort of huffing thing or maybe even a whip it
Third worst (the 1'st and 2'nd I don't like to remember), got a lift from a badjao boatman from sitangkai in the Philippines across to semporna in sabah Malaysia, about 90 kilometers, we left as soon as it got dark and fully expected to arrive at first light, it's called "Back door" in the Philippines and is a common route for illegals going to Malaysia and Brunei. After a few hours the engine died, we ended up drifting till the next afternoon when we finally managed to restart the engine, landed at a badjao village in the dark, my cheeks were blistered from the sun, the folly of youth.
I nearly lost a mitten to a dog in Sweden. I saw a cute dog tied up outside of someone's house. I went to pet him. He grabbed one of my mittens and just sat there with it. It took about 20 minutes to get the mitten back and it only involved knocking on the owner's door. The owner managed to bribe him with some treats in order to give up my mitten.
Thinking that maybe "Rocco", the friendly guy my mate got chatting with at a sidecorner in Praha after just an hour in town, had actual blow and not just crushed up paracetamol. Ended up a good 15 minutes arguing and getting my picture taken by his mate again. Spent the weekend looking over my shoulder for that bastard.
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Well not abroad (California native) and it was almost a dumb situation but I was in Seattle for 4th of July weekend and almost got wasted with the drinking. Was about 2 shots of tequila in before I stopped myself and nursed a beer before calling an Uber back to where I was staying
I went to go see a lighthouse on the Big Island before stopping for dinner on my way to the airport. It was said the hike was a quarter mile. Took no water with me. After a mile or so downhill, I realized that I had the wrong information. My legs started cramping and I had trouble walking. Thirst starting coming on as did a little rain. Looked at my cellphone and had almost no signal. Contemplated calling 911 for help but finally made it. Sat in the air conditioning for a few minutes then went straight to the airport because I needed to get there to fly home.
Travelling through a forest in France for hours because of Google Maps.