The travel victories thread

[Anthony]

I really didn't want to make a whole thread for this, so I morphed it into a community thing. We can use this space to share our 'victories' in traveling. Share anything you are proud about, no matter how trivial it may seem to you. If you bother to mention it, clearly you're proud of yourself.

I'll get started...
It's my birthday, and my passport just arrived. It seems like fate is telling me something. I am so psyched. For the record, I had a passport when I was 16, but misplaced it as stupid kids often do. So this is my new one.

[Greg]

Sweet! I can't think of a better birthday gift.....unless, maybe it came stuffed full of free travel funds from the government too? 

Great idea for a new thread.

[Anthony]

Free money is always nice, but Uncle Sam rarely makes that kind of mistake 
Here's a victory of sorts I'd like to share. While I was in London on a school choir trip (go figure) a homeless guy spit on one of my female friends. I don't know what provoked it, but whatever. She was all freaked out, but I went over to the guy, who looked like he was about to hit me. I handed him 5 pounds (like 7.50 then), and said "Try to be nicer next time." and walked away. I don't even know where that came from, it just happened and was over before I realized it. She was practically yelling at me later, trying to understand why I would hand a guy money after he did that to her. Sometimes you just need to do something good, even if the other person doesn't deserve it. That is, by the way, probably the coolest thing I've ever done (not to toot my own horn).

[Greg]

I think my biggest victory in life was overcoming the programming that I received all my life to get a job, buy a house, reproduce, and die miserably while trying to stockpile money.  It took me around 6 months after making the decision to sell my house and most of my things, eliminate debt, and grab a one way flight to Bangkok. It was my first time out of the country, so I was filled with doubt thanks to lots of doom and gloom preaching from people around me.

A couple short months later and for the first time, I felt like I was truly holding the reins rather than being on an out of control ride through life. It will never go away and even if I die broke I'll die with a smile on my face because just like Sinatra said..."I did it...my..way..."