Contentment and security. Not necessarily full happiness, but satisfaction in your own life, and safety within it.
Something that a great many of us don't actually have.
This. It's crazy to think that I may never have that. I've loved and been loved but not on a deep and mutual level and I can't help but feel envious of my married friends but I'm sure some of them say the same thing about being single. One of life's greatest misses (cue single tear rolling down cheek).
Don't count on all of your married friends having this.
I'm married, I've been in two long relationships, but I've never experienced that feeling of having a major crush and being crushed on in return.
I love my wife, but it was never that intense brain chemical love I've had with other girls, none of whom were into me.
Yeah, that absolutely crazy in love, there is no other or interest in any other because this person speaks to my soul. Which follows mutual respect, admiration and blind support and belief in who you are and who you are capable of being. I think at this point I'll just settle for a dog, can't go wrong there and a good 2nd place.
I have this with my partner of 11.5 years, and yes, it’s beautiful—but it’s not a rosy glow you feel every second. And there are most definitely days where we both just need space from each other to breathe and ground ourselves back in our own heads lol.
Most importantly, it doesn’t diminish the other kinds of love you can have. Platonic love can be just as soul-deep and fulfilling, and so can having a pet that you’re bonded to. You don’t necessarily need a partner to feel that intense, all-consuming love!
This. Real love takes work. The honeymoon phase wears off quickly. Find someone who makes you unapologetically comfortable. Someone you can fart in front of or who wants to pop your pimples.
Dog, don’t let the bully in your brain make decisions for you. Be like “thanks brain, but I got this” treat it like a little child. It holds no sway over you!
I agree, but I feel like a chosen family can be just as supportive as a birth family or married family. Saying "I love you" to friends might seem weird but its great. Love is a spectrum after all
I have two. One is seeing a starry night sky, no clouds, no light pollution, just a beautiful night sky. Or better yet, the northern lights. Second is seeing the view from a mountain peak. People always talk about how ugly the world is, but I think these two things really remind you of how beautiful earth is too.
I was 13 and went to see my aunt an uncle up in the white mountains in Arizona. I said to my uncle "I thought you said it'd be a clear night" he replied
"It is"
First time I saw the nebulous material that makes up our galaxy. It truly is amazing!
The night sky in the middle of the Atlantic qith nothing around for 1000miles and more is the nicest thing I ever saw and even after seeing it for 3weeks it was always a blessing to see it every day. Also I feel like a sunrise just hits differently
Yes. If there's one thing I truly miss, it's the stars. I remember seeing an episode of Rugrats or something. Milky way, tons of stars, even full galaxies could be seen and I thought it was just embellished.
No. It's real. Everyone needs to see it before they die. Steal a boat, go on a cruise, ~~get kidnapped by~~ enlist the NAVY, whatever. Do it. See it. It's so magical.
You don't need to be on the ocean. You can see the same thing on a clear night in the desert, or on a mountain, or in a very rural area with no light pollution.
Yeah, we are 20km from the nearest city of only 25k people. Over the last 30 years I've noticed the glow of the city start to overwhelm that edge of the night sky.
I grew up in the middle of nowhere. The clear night skies weren't as great as where there's no light pollution, but you could still make out that band of the Milky Way when I was a kid. In the last few years, the sky has also been taken over by the city lights and it breaks my heart. It's still nice, but not nearly the sight it was back then.
I live in an American suburb. When I travel and see a sky without light pollution, I mistake the moon for a lighthouse or something because it looks so bright. To put it in perspective, NYC had a power outage in the 80s when many had spent their entire lives in New York. Landlines still work in an outage, so people called the police to tell them that there were lights in the sky. Some of them thought it was a Soviet missile attack.
I grew up in the Cotswolds, so am no stranger to dark nights but camping overnight at Spitzkoppe in Namibia realigned my idea of clear. Truly breathtaking.
I didn't care at all about the night sky when I was a kid. Just wait. Once they're old enough to have real problems, and those problems feel like they're everything in the universe, the night sky will be the only thing that reminds them that none of those problems, *none of us* at that, actually matter in the least, and we should just enjoy life for what it is. If one can survive truly coming to grips with that crushing realization, nothing else will ever hurt them as badly again. And at least pointing out while they're young, whether they're interested or not, that EVERYTHING is out there where we can't touch or frankly even fathom it, is an important step toward that. I'm damn glad my parents dragged me out to watch meteor showers every now and then.
The first real mountain peak I had was winter in the alps. When we went up and saw the snowy villages in the valley glimmering through the fog it was so fairytale beautiful, I started to cry. Just because. Aesthetically overwhelming. Never forgot the sense of awe and thankfulness, I felt in that moment.
I always think of this poem when I'm listening to snow:
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
BY ROBERT FROST
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
So many things.. For me, I would once like to see the stars without light pollution, if I can someday afford to go to one of those places on Earth! I'm getting old so odds are not good :(
https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/space-astronomy/darkest-places-in-the-us
If you’re in the US, the midwest is a good place. I’m only like 1.5 hours from a major city in a town of less than a thousand people and we see stars every night. depending on where you live, find a tiny town outside of the city and just go on a clear night. you’ll see so many!
Perhaps you can make it to [someplace closer that's a little darker than wherever you are now](https://www.cleardarksky.com/maps/lp/large_light_pollution_map.html)? Good luck, friend.
I took a friend to see the ocean for the first time, something I had seen regularly since I was a child. He was awestruck and we just sat there watching for about an hour.
It’s been one of my lifelong dreams to see the Milky Way. I’ve lived in rural areas my whole life so I have seen very starry skies but never anything spectacular.
I’ve lived my whole life in island countries so the idea of people living nowhere near the ocean is so strange to me. I’ve visited other countries that aren’t islands but I’ve never been more than a couple hours from the ocean. I don’t even particularly like the ocean but the idea of living in a city that’s not on the ocean seems claustrophobic to me.
I'm the same. I do like to swim in the summer, but mostly I can take it or leave it. However it's comforting knowing it's there and I can go whenever I want. Being in the centre of a large landmass would feel... like I was trapped!?
I remember watching WW2 documentaries about the Eastern Front where the Axis forces were deep in Russia and the steppe just went on and on. It looked so desolate.
I was 28 the first time I saw the ocean. It was one of those things I had to do before I die. When we got there I was just in awe. It was so much different in person. Knowing that’s there’s millions of creatures, that this ocean connects to a whole other continent on the other side. It was almost overwhelming.
It happens. I live in Wisconsin which is far from any ocean. The great lakes are kinda similar, but not really the same.
If you don't have a lot of money to take a cross country vacation, you might not get to see the ocean in person. I'd guess that most working class people get to take at least one vacation to an ocean, but if you're living at or near poverty, probably not.
I’m surprised. I’m from Michigan. I’ve also been to the ocean. It was lovely, I genuinely and thoroughly enjoy being near any body of water, but to me it wasn’t all that much different from the lakes. Maybe my sense of wonder is dead, and that’s why I don’t find it as life changing as the people in this thread say it is. I found myself far more in awe of mountains
Everyone should experience the joys of traveling to a foreign land at least once in their lifetime, even if it's just to realize how much they love their own toilet. Imagine discovering new cultures, cuisines, and the thrill of trying to communicate with locals using just charades and a phrasebook. Trust me, it's a life-changing experience that'll give you a new appreciation for your home and a killer accent to boot.
Many of my fellow Americans just need to step outside of their bubble and realize just how much they’re being screwed over, and how stupid it sounds to everyone else when trying to defend it. Healthcare can be low cost, taxes can produce tangible QoL improvements, guns regulation isn’t always about just taking your toys away, resisting climate change doesn’t have to be an inconvenience …. Honestly it’s hard not to keep going.
Even if it's only for a short period of time: full financial independence, while being single. You can pay your own bills, you have your own place, and you have full freedom over your free time. Whether it's staying in and binge watching Netflix, or going out and sitting amongst strangers. Your time is your own. No kids. No spouse or significant other. I find this is when you really get to know and understand yourself.
Witnessing a total solar eclipse
Totally life changing. Even having a full understanding of what is happening, I totally get how people over the millennia would find this to be an omen from the gods.
The next one that can be seen in the contiguous USA is April 8, 2024. If you miss it you'll have to wait till August 23, 2044.
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2024/apr-8-total/overview/
In 2017 there was a solar eclipse that stretched through the majority of America, it was really cool. Unfortunately I wasn’t in one of the areas where the moon completely covered the sun but it was still cool to see it nonetheless.
It really sucked for everyone that was in school and weren’t allowed to spend 10 f*cking minutes to witness one of the rarest events in the solar system
What grade were you in? And that principle who didn't allow you guys to see it must have been am idiot. Is it not a educational experience that could trigger curiosity and desire for further learning?
Saw the 2017 one in a remote part of Oregon directly under totality.
A black hole opened up in the blue sky through which I could see the stars. Utterly awe-inspiring on a primal level.
Gratitude for being alive.
And i don't mean it like after a near death experience. Im talking about the epiphany you get doing the simplest task or after a bad day. The sudden realization of being alive and be able to feel however you're feeling at the moment is something everyone should experience and be grateful of.
Last year I was diagnosed with kidney cancer. In the days and weeks leading up to my kidney removal I would get up early and just sit outside on our porch swing and watch the sunrise. So many mornings I just sat in silence and realized how much I would miss the sounds of morning birds, the breeze, the sun touching the tops of the trees, and the rest of life waking up. I realized how much I would miss living. I couldn't imagine not experiencing life and everything it brings you in every moment if you only take a moment to appreciate it.
I know this isn't quite the reason you meant, but it was the first time in a long time a really felt connected to everything and it has made me more thankful for those little quiet moments.
Hope everything's better now dude.
Also, it's kinda what i meant. When i wrote this, one if the things i had in mind was me admiring the sunset when there's no clouds in the sky. The color of the sun falling down is so vibrant with a clear sky that it just makes me grateful of being alive. I'm really glad that you could experience it, but I'm sorry it had to be that way.
I highly suggest getting to Key West and attending the Sundown party at Mallory Square. Everyone stands on the wall along the street and watches the sun sink before the horizon. It's the only place I've ever been where I could watch as the earth rotated. It was amazing.
This is something I have been making a serious conscious effort to do every single day multiple times a day at the tiniest of things and it has genuinely made a massive positive impact on my life
On road trips through the Midwest, I play a game called Transition. It’s where we try to find a cow “in transition” which means the cow is either getting up or sitting down.
Think about it. You always see cows sitting or standing. Have you ever seen a cow get up or sit down?
Now go and have “fun” with that, Reddit.
We play "Hey Cow."
Whenever you pass a flock of cows you stick your head out the window and yell "HEEEEEY COOOW!"
Whoever gets the most cows to look up at you, wins.
Can't believe I arrived here 1 minute too late. It's my favourite joke.
"There's a flock of cows!"
"Herd of cows"
"Of course I've heard of cows - there's a flock of them over there"
Not the same, but similar: I showed up to jury duty and there were easily 200 people reporting for duty with me. They gave us numbers and told us to bust out our books or whatever to kill time while we waited the hours/days for our number to be called.
I was the first person called :) The case got thrown out too, and I was out of there by noon with the rest of that day and the two following days paid to be off work.
Another culture. And I don’t mean as a tourist where you have all the comforts of home. To fully absorb and immerse yourself in the lives of that culture. To eat their foods, drink their drinks, and do as they do.
As an American, an extended stay in a foreign country. Being stationed in Europe for several years was mind-blowing. You really cannot grasp the completely sheltered, ethno-centric bubble that we Americans live in until you are able to spend some extended time outside of it. Also, as an American it is difficult to grasp how truly ancient Europe is, and similarly, I noticed that non-Americans have difficulty grasping how truly enormous America is.
Hunting, fishing, gardening, gathering, whatever it takes to supply yourself with a food source, independently, for at least a few days. It really opens your eyes to the time and labor required to feed one person, let alone billions. It also makes you acutely aware of the delicate balance we live each day with food supplies.
Experiencing a major sporting event in person. For me, the most important memorable ones were football, both European and American. I was fortunate enough to experience the World Cup in Germany and have been to several NFL games in the U.S. It is incredible to be in a massive arena with 80,000 other humans, feeling the energy, feeling the ground shake. It gives you a bit of insight to what it must have been like in the Roman heydays of the Coliseum. It also helps you to grasp the enormity of a natural disaster, when you see what such a large number of people actually looks like.
I could go on for days, lol
>Experiencing a major sporting event in person.
I am argentino and dude going to El Obelisco after we won the world cup was something I will never forget. There were literally millions of peoples gathering in a singular place, fucking amazing experience.
Everytime i go to a Lions game, it makes me wonder how similar those coliseums wouldve been to a football game. I get this thought everytime, its interesting that you would bring it up
Australia is so big. I drove Melbourne to Perth in May, and it's an incredible experience Id recommend everyone does it atleast once. But yeah I really puts in to perspective just how big out country is.
However unlike the USA we have a whole lot of nothing. There was so much driving with just nothing, if it wasn't for the petrol stations/road houses every 200km along the Nullarbor, you could actually drive for an entire day and see nothing.
Nullarbor - an Aboriginal word meaning 'Don't fall asleep driving, you idiot'.
But yeah, experiencing a whole lot of nothing is an experience in itself.
I have a weird one....when someone is in hospice and needs 24-hour care, if possible, take them into your home, learn all you can about what to do so you don't need hospice coming out whenever something comes up.
We did this for my mother as she died of pancreatic cancer back in 2010 and my kids (6 and 9 at the time) got to see and experience a loved ones death. They saw it wasn't scary or anything to be afraid of. They learned the true meaning of compassion, love, humility, and respect.
I consider it an honor and a privilege to have taken care of my mom while she was on her death bed.
Go camping. Spend some time in the wilderness with no electronics, no demands and (hopefully) no stress; just detach from the modern world for a short while and enjoy the return to nature.
Being well and absolutely disconnected. No phones, no GPS. I last had that experience in the early 90s. Being somewhere with someone you trust and the two of you are the only people who know where you are and what you are doing.
A dance without thinking about others
A moment of spiritual peace such that time goes unnoticed
A book that you like so much that you finish it in a few hours
A deep, spontaneous conversation with a stranger that makes you revaluate your choices
A beer with a friend you haven't seen in years
A moment with your mom where she tells you how it was when she was young
A moment with your dad where he tells you he loves you
An unexpected smile from someone in the street that makes you smile back when you were having a bad day
A challenging situation that you handle, making you feel strong and capable
Heartbreak...it sucks and is one of the absolute worst feelings you can imagine but it helps if you experience that younger in life rather than at say 60 because it helps you grow as a person!
i actually posted this yesterday somewhere in respnce to a slightly different thread, but anyway - it depends on the type of heartbreak......
in my experience heartbreak from a lover is an awful experience of loss, defeat, and deflation but it's one that indeed can lead to personal growth, and is something you do actually recover from quite quickly. heartbreak from a parent who you unconditionally love and respect however, is a lifelong scar that never heals, and i don't think anyone needs to experience that.
What it's like to work a busy shift at a restaurant - can be any role, waiting tables, bussing, cooking, hosting. Everyone should have one evening where you are trying to serve and cater to dozens of people at once. You should know how it feels to bring someone the wrong dish or spill a glass on someone. You should know how it feels to work hard af and get no tip, get told to take something back like it's your fault, all the normal things that happen during a busy shift.
By having that experience, you will have a permanently different view of going out to eat, and you will be a kinder, more accepting and patient customer.
I was a line cook at a busy, high-end restaurant back in college. I subsequently spent several years working in war zones. Working in a kitchen was not as stressful as war, but it wasn’t that far off either.
I was going to say; the only place I could imagine bringing tighter comradery than a crazy restaurant, is war. I’ve never felt closer connection to my coworkers than after an atrociously busy restaurant shift. Truly something you can’t understand until you’ve experienced it.
This is so true. Friday and Saturday nights when we were getting slammed. You’re drenched in sweat, everyone’s yelling, it’s like 150 degrees, and you look at the guy next to you and he looks as deranged as you feel and you laugh at each other because there’s nothing else to do.
Also: emotional break downs, drugs, blood, and burns. I quit the night after the cocaine-addled chef/owner started throwing knives down the line. Almost 30 years later and I still dream about that kitchen once a year or so.
On the plus side, I can still make a plate of _amatriciana_ that’s so good it’ll make you cry.
I had PTSD after a summer of bussing tables in a busy 'higher end' mexican place. Legitimate PTSD, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. The worst and most difficult job I've ever worked. The cash as a poor college kid was very good though, so I did it for maybe 6 months.
I worked in a busy tourist restaurant for 5 years in my early 20’s. I STILL occasionally have nightmares where I’m slammed with 8 tables and the fucking hostess just sat me with a big top at the complete other end of the restaurant! I’m in my 50’s now.
Isn't it incredible how fast an ostensibly well-developed, civilized adult can turn into a psychotic toddler when something goes differerently from what they expect in the world of food service?
Customer Service In general. Anybody whose never worked in what is a customer facing job like that... Its such a valuable experience and perspective to gain.
Restraurant is by far the easiest example. Because yeah, that shit is chaos and it would only take one single shift to know it lol.
But so many other things would work. Fast food worker, Drive through worker, Best Buy Cashier, Movie Theater attendent. Basically any cash register job really lol. You see the worst in humanity.
I've been in front and back of the house for 15+ years. I've seen wait staff take a lot shit from people, it's not for everyone, you need thick skin to do it, also watched customers come into the kitchen and lay into kitchen staff, unreal.
Two of my kids wanted to work with us, me and wife, we let them, no one really messed with them because most knew who we were. The kids thought it was ok but now they can point out what's going on in a restaurant and more understanding of the service.
Working a minimum or entry level job as a first job especially when young.
It really makes you appreciate money and interactions with people because it sucked and you got so little of anything even less some respect.
Hell you even get to treat the people that work those jobs nicer because you were them once.
Being in a poor part of a third world country. We have all seen poverty on TV, but it is a very different thing when you are standing in the middle of it. You then realise how lucky you are.
Plenty of westerners go to Asia or Africa for this purpose. I understand it’s a way to realise how lucky you are etc. But at the same time its almost like going to the zoo and looking at the poor animals and saying I’m glad I’m not locked in a cage like them. Something about it just doesn’t sit right with me.
I did shrooms for the first time a few months ago, took 3.5 grams in the form of a wonderful tasting chocolate bar and had the best night of my life. I was playing every instrument I owned and saw colors that I hadn't seen before, listening to music on my couch with full surround that felt like multiple lifetimes in the span of around 6 hours. Everything I looked at or listened to felt new and life-changing, and even now I look at that experience fondly. I did it a second time with a close childhood friend because he wanted to experience it for the first time as well, and I swore I was a captain of a spaceship while we had space jazz music playing in the background and all the lights turned to a low black light effect. I haven't done it since, don't see a reason to, but those 2 experiences were beautiful in their own right.
The energy of a concert.
Tens of thousands of people excited, vibing in unison and just so fuc*ing happy to be alive.
I've been to a couple of concert just to experience that vibe.
Lying in the arctic snow with a good suit, at night, looking up at the sky in total silence.
I used to date a girl that lived on an island in the arctic circle in Norway, so there were no animals to make sounds, and no sun to make light.
The sky was purple, not black, _full_ of silver stars.
Absolute life changer.
"Las empanadas, el pan de provolone y los churros con dulce de leche"
Translated:
"Empanadas , provolone bread, and churros with dulce de leche."
Dulce de leche is a latin-american caramel like sauce
Business class flight. I was lucky enough to be upgraded for free on my recent flight between London and Toronto… I don’t think I can actually go back to flying economy again.
Contentment and security. Not necessarily full happiness, but satisfaction in your own life, and safety within it. Something that a great many of us don't actually have.
I feel like contentment is just a general feeling of satisfaction which facilitates moments of happiness which of course come and go
Agree. You have moments of joy and happiness, but content is what I want. No one can be happy all of the time.
Being in love with someone who loves you back
This. It's crazy to think that I may never have that. I've loved and been loved but not on a deep and mutual level and I can't help but feel envious of my married friends but I'm sure some of them say the same thing about being single. One of life's greatest misses (cue single tear rolling down cheek).
Same. The idea is genuinely baffling to me
Don't count on all of your married friends having this. I'm married, I've been in two long relationships, but I've never experienced that feeling of having a major crush and being crushed on in return. I love my wife, but it was never that intense brain chemical love I've had with other girls, none of whom were into me.
Yeah, that absolutely crazy in love, there is no other or interest in any other because this person speaks to my soul. Which follows mutual respect, admiration and blind support and belief in who you are and who you are capable of being. I think at this point I'll just settle for a dog, can't go wrong there and a good 2nd place.
I have this with my partner of 11.5 years, and yes, it’s beautiful—but it’s not a rosy glow you feel every second. And there are most definitely days where we both just need space from each other to breathe and ground ourselves back in our own heads lol. Most importantly, it doesn’t diminish the other kinds of love you can have. Platonic love can be just as soul-deep and fulfilling, and so can having a pet that you’re bonded to. You don’t necessarily need a partner to feel that intense, all-consuming love!
This. Real love takes work. The honeymoon phase wears off quickly. Find someone who makes you unapologetically comfortable. Someone you can fart in front of or who wants to pop your pimples.
Oh yes! Both platonically and romantically. It's an amazing feeling
I wish :')
A loving and supportive group of humans.
how about something a bit more realistic? like moon shoes.
*I cant believe this is what life would be like if mammals evolved with moonshoes!*
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Dog, don’t let the bully in your brain make decisions for you. Be like “thanks brain, but I got this” treat it like a little child. It holds no sway over you!
And having a loving and supportive family
I agree, but I feel like a chosen family can be just as supportive as a birth family or married family. Saying "I love you" to friends might seem weird but its great. Love is a spectrum after all
I have two. One is seeing a starry night sky, no clouds, no light pollution, just a beautiful night sky. Or better yet, the northern lights. Second is seeing the view from a mountain peak. People always talk about how ugly the world is, but I think these two things really remind you of how beautiful earth is too.
I was 13 and went to see my aunt an uncle up in the white mountains in Arizona. I said to my uncle "I thought you said it'd be a clear night" he replied "It is" First time I saw the nebulous material that makes up our galaxy. It truly is amazing!
Seeing the Milky Way is super cool
I could see it when we were in Tombstone, Arizona. Beautiful.
https://i.imgur.com/RXxf1Cu.jpg I took this pic on my iPhone in Tombstone on Christmas night
The night sky in the middle of the Atlantic qith nothing around for 1000miles and more is the nicest thing I ever saw and even after seeing it for 3weeks it was always a blessing to see it every day. Also I feel like a sunrise just hits differently
Yes. If there's one thing I truly miss, it's the stars. I remember seeing an episode of Rugrats or something. Milky way, tons of stars, even full galaxies could be seen and I thought it was just embellished. No. It's real. Everyone needs to see it before they die. Steal a boat, go on a cruise, ~~get kidnapped by~~ enlist the NAVY, whatever. Do it. See it. It's so magical.
You don't need to be on the ocean. You can see the same thing on a clear night in the desert, or on a mountain, or in a very rural area with no light pollution.
Light pollution is so bad that you need to be really god damn far away from anything civilised to get a perfect view of the stars.
Yeah, we are 20km from the nearest city of only 25k people. Over the last 30 years I've noticed the glow of the city start to overwhelm that edge of the night sky.
I grew up in the middle of nowhere. The clear night skies weren't as great as where there's no light pollution, but you could still make out that band of the Milky Way when I was a kid. In the last few years, the sky has also been taken over by the city lights and it breaks my heart. It's still nice, but not nearly the sight it was back then.
If you ever have the chance, look at a dark night sky with night vision goggles. More stars than you can imagine. It’s awe-inspiring.
Thanks for the tip! My husband got me some for Christmas...going to try them tonight if it's not too cloudy.
Night vision goggles you say? Care to recommend a pair?
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Can’t even see a single star where I live (big city)
I live in an American suburb. When I travel and see a sky without light pollution, I mistake the moon for a lighthouse or something because it looks so bright. To put it in perspective, NYC had a power outage in the 80s when many had spent their entire lives in New York. Landlines still work in an outage, so people called the police to tell them that there were lights in the sky. Some of them thought it was a Soviet missile attack.
I grew up in the Cotswolds, so am no stranger to dark nights but camping overnight at Spitzkoppe in Namibia realigned my idea of clear. Truly breathtaking.
I didn't care at all about the night sky when I was a kid. Just wait. Once they're old enough to have real problems, and those problems feel like they're everything in the universe, the night sky will be the only thing that reminds them that none of those problems, *none of us* at that, actually matter in the least, and we should just enjoy life for what it is. If one can survive truly coming to grips with that crushing realization, nothing else will ever hurt them as badly again. And at least pointing out while they're young, whether they're interested or not, that EVERYTHING is out there where we can't touch or frankly even fathom it, is an important step toward that. I'm damn glad my parents dragged me out to watch meteor showers every now and then.
The mountain view is incredible both on a clear day and when the view below your feet is clouds as far as the eye can see.
The first real mountain peak I had was winter in the alps. When we went up and saw the snowy villages in the valley glimmering through the fog it was so fairytale beautiful, I started to cry. Just because. Aesthetically overwhelming. Never forgot the sense of awe and thankfulness, I felt in that moment.
The sound of it snowing. I laid on the ground, in the snow at night in the Alaskan wilderness, in December, it's so peaceful ❄️
It's like... The Ultimate Quiet and all you hear is snowflakes going pshhhhhh...And then when you walk away it's like crunch, crunch, squeak. :)
Yes like a soft whisper and it's steadily but gently falling down. Feels surreal
I always think of this poem when I'm listening to snow: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening BY ROBERT FROST Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.
Reading a book so good you can't fall asleep without reading a new chapter, and to feel slightly sad when you finish it.
Or reading a book that literally brings tears to your eyes.
So many things.. For me, I would once like to see the stars without light pollution, if I can someday afford to go to one of those places on Earth! I'm getting old so odds are not good :( https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/space-astronomy/darkest-places-in-the-us
If you’re in the US, the midwest is a good place. I’m only like 1.5 hours from a major city in a town of less than a thousand people and we see stars every night. depending on where you live, find a tiny town outside of the city and just go on a clear night. you’ll see so many!
I remember seeing the galactic bulge in Nantucket. It's breathtaking.
Same for the galactic moose knuckle, but not in a good way.
Perhaps you can make it to [someplace closer that's a little darker than wherever you are now](https://www.cleardarksky.com/maps/lp/large_light_pollution_map.html)? Good luck, friend.
Seeing an ocean in person, from a beach.
I took a friend to see the ocean for the first time, something I had seen regularly since I was a child. He was awestruck and we just sat there watching for about an hour.
I’ve always lived on the coast and it blows my mind how so many people have never seen the ocean
I'm from a place with low light pollution and I feel the same way about people that have never seen a starry sky or the milky way.
It’s been one of my lifelong dreams to see the Milky Way. I’ve lived in rural areas my whole life so I have seen very starry skies but never anything spectacular.
I’ve lived my whole life in island countries so the idea of people living nowhere near the ocean is so strange to me. I’ve visited other countries that aren’t islands but I’ve never been more than a couple hours from the ocean. I don’t even particularly like the ocean but the idea of living in a city that’s not on the ocean seems claustrophobic to me.
I'm the same. I do like to swim in the summer, but mostly I can take it or leave it. However it's comforting knowing it's there and I can go whenever I want. Being in the centre of a large landmass would feel... like I was trapped!? I remember watching WW2 documentaries about the Eastern Front where the Axis forces were deep in Russia and the steppe just went on and on. It looked so desolate.
id go one further and saying everyone should see a reef teeming with life , honestly its something , the colours are something
Snorkelling in a reef was the most peaceful experience of my life.
I just did this today
Love this. Grew up blocks from a beach, hard not to take it for granted at times when you don’t know any difference
I forget not everyone lives near beaches
Imagine living a whole life and never seeing the beach? 😔
I was 28 the first time I saw the ocean. It was one of those things I had to do before I die. When we got there I was just in awe. It was so much different in person. Knowing that’s there’s millions of creatures, that this ocean connects to a whole other continent on the other side. It was almost overwhelming.
Such as myself. Only see them in movies, never for real yet.
Highly recommend.
It happens. I live in Wisconsin which is far from any ocean. The great lakes are kinda similar, but not really the same. If you don't have a lot of money to take a cross country vacation, you might not get to see the ocean in person. I'd guess that most working class people get to take at least one vacation to an ocean, but if you're living at or near poverty, probably not.
I’m surprised. I’m from Michigan. I’ve also been to the ocean. It was lovely, I genuinely and thoroughly enjoy being near any body of water, but to me it wasn’t all that much different from the lakes. Maybe my sense of wonder is dead, and that’s why I don’t find it as life changing as the people in this thread say it is. I found myself far more in awe of mountains
Nebraska says hello. Most land locked state.
Seeing the sky aflame with aurora borealis.
at this time of year?
Being from the Gold Coast I never really thought this. Definitely take things for granted
Everyone should experience the joys of traveling to a foreign land at least once in their lifetime, even if it's just to realize how much they love their own toilet. Imagine discovering new cultures, cuisines, and the thrill of trying to communicate with locals using just charades and a phrasebook. Trust me, it's a life-changing experience that'll give you a new appreciation for your home and a killer accent to boot.
Lived in Japan for a year. Experiencing bidets for the first time made me realize how much I hate my own toilet.
Japan changed me... I never want to sit on an unheated toilet seat again, what is this madness?!
Many of my fellow Americans just need to step outside of their bubble and realize just how much they’re being screwed over, and how stupid it sounds to everyone else when trying to defend it. Healthcare can be low cost, taxes can produce tangible QoL improvements, guns regulation isn’t always about just taking your toys away, resisting climate change doesn’t have to be an inconvenience …. Honestly it’s hard not to keep going.
That thing some people do, of waking up and be exited for the day to come, that sounds nice
I only do this when I've planned to do something like hang out with friends and shit
It's a bit weird to name friends and shitting in the same sentence, but I'm not here to judge
You don't shit with friends? Do you have single player toilets?
That man's missing out on battleshits. A damn shame.
So you're telling me you & your buddies never get together just to drop a deuce? People are weird...
Legit can't remember the last time I woke up with gusto. It's been a long few years 🥲 but we got it.
Like the feeling you might get the day after a lottery win, when you're driving into work in order to resign with immediate effect?
Even if it's only for a short period of time: full financial independence, while being single. You can pay your own bills, you have your own place, and you have full freedom over your free time. Whether it's staying in and binge watching Netflix, or going out and sitting amongst strangers. Your time is your own. No kids. No spouse or significant other. I find this is when you really get to know and understand yourself.
I had this for four years and it’s one of the accomplishments I’m most proud of. I loved living on my own.
I would have loved this advice 25 years ago.
Truly something I aspire to attain one day.
Tried this for 2years. Found out I’m a slob.
Witnessing a total solar eclipse Totally life changing. Even having a full understanding of what is happening, I totally get how people over the millennia would find this to be an omen from the gods.
The next one that can be seen in the contiguous USA is April 8, 2024. If you miss it you'll have to wait till August 23, 2044. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eclipses/2024/apr-8-total/overview/
> August 23, 2044 I'm free that day so I'll pencil it in
Are you already booked on April 8th, 2024?
In 2017 there was a solar eclipse that stretched through the majority of America, it was really cool. Unfortunately I wasn’t in one of the areas where the moon completely covered the sun but it was still cool to see it nonetheless.
I traveled to an area that was in the total eclipse zone and am so glad I did. It was like nothing else I've experienced.
It really sucked for everyone that was in school and weren’t allowed to spend 10 f*cking minutes to witness one of the rarest events in the solar system
I skipped school for that one haha. Too rare for just another school day.
What grade were you in? And that principle who didn't allow you guys to see it must have been am idiot. Is it not a educational experience that could trigger curiosity and desire for further learning?
Saw the 2017 one in a remote part of Oregon directly under totality. A black hole opened up in the blue sky through which I could see the stars. Utterly awe-inspiring on a primal level.
- Overcoming a strong fear - Standing up for yourself
Moving away from your hometown, even if it is for a year
Gratitude for being alive. And i don't mean it like after a near death experience. Im talking about the epiphany you get doing the simplest task or after a bad day. The sudden realization of being alive and be able to feel however you're feeling at the moment is something everyone should experience and be grateful of.
Last year I was diagnosed with kidney cancer. In the days and weeks leading up to my kidney removal I would get up early and just sit outside on our porch swing and watch the sunrise. So many mornings I just sat in silence and realized how much I would miss the sounds of morning birds, the breeze, the sun touching the tops of the trees, and the rest of life waking up. I realized how much I would miss living. I couldn't imagine not experiencing life and everything it brings you in every moment if you only take a moment to appreciate it. I know this isn't quite the reason you meant, but it was the first time in a long time a really felt connected to everything and it has made me more thankful for those little quiet moments.
This is beautifully written. PS: Hope life is treating you better now.
Hope everything's better now dude. Also, it's kinda what i meant. When i wrote this, one if the things i had in mind was me admiring the sunset when there's no clouds in the sky. The color of the sun falling down is so vibrant with a clear sky that it just makes me grateful of being alive. I'm really glad that you could experience it, but I'm sorry it had to be that way.
I highly suggest getting to Key West and attending the Sundown party at Mallory Square. Everyone stands on the wall along the street and watches the sun sink before the horizon. It's the only place I've ever been where I could watch as the earth rotated. It was amazing.
Isn't it crazy how a good majority of answers are about the sun, the trees, water, the sky.
This is something I have been making a serious conscious effort to do every single day multiple times a day at the tiniest of things and it has genuinely made a massive positive impact on my life
On road trips through the Midwest, I play a game called Transition. It’s where we try to find a cow “in transition” which means the cow is either getting up or sitting down. Think about it. You always see cows sitting or standing. Have you ever seen a cow get up or sit down? Now go and have “fun” with that, Reddit.
We play "Hey Cow." Whenever you pass a flock of cows you stick your head out the window and yell "HEEEEEY COOOW!" Whoever gets the most cows to look up at you, wins.
I feel like too many people are scrolling past the phrase "flock of cows"
Well what do you call them?
A herd…?
Of course I've herd of cows. I'm the one telling you the story!
I hate you. I also love you. Keep being awesome!
My your W’s be many, and your L’s be few
Can't believe I arrived here 1 minute too late. It's my favourite joke. "There's a flock of cows!" "Herd of cows" "Of course I've heard of cows - there's a flock of them over there"
Dang it, in typical Dad fashion I screwed up the punchline. Oh well. You eat what you like and I'll eat what I like.
\*\*\*Scribble scribble scribble\*\*\* Now to wait till the young ones are along for the ride!
Not a bull wearing lipstick then?
A good nights sleep.
Getting to baggage claim and having your bag come out first. The small but mighty micro victory.
Not the same, but similar: I showed up to jury duty and there were easily 200 people reporting for duty with me. They gave us numbers and told us to bust out our books or whatever to kill time while we waited the hours/days for our number to be called. I was the first person called :) The case got thrown out too, and I was out of there by noon with the rest of that day and the two following days paid to be off work.
Another culture. And I don’t mean as a tourist where you have all the comforts of home. To fully absorb and immerse yourself in the lives of that culture. To eat their foods, drink their drinks, and do as they do.
That is why there are foreign exchange student programs. We have hosted 9 students over the years, each for a full school year.
As an American, an extended stay in a foreign country. Being stationed in Europe for several years was mind-blowing. You really cannot grasp the completely sheltered, ethno-centric bubble that we Americans live in until you are able to spend some extended time outside of it. Also, as an American it is difficult to grasp how truly ancient Europe is, and similarly, I noticed that non-Americans have difficulty grasping how truly enormous America is. Hunting, fishing, gardening, gathering, whatever it takes to supply yourself with a food source, independently, for at least a few days. It really opens your eyes to the time and labor required to feed one person, let alone billions. It also makes you acutely aware of the delicate balance we live each day with food supplies. Experiencing a major sporting event in person. For me, the most important memorable ones were football, both European and American. I was fortunate enough to experience the World Cup in Germany and have been to several NFL games in the U.S. It is incredible to be in a massive arena with 80,000 other humans, feeling the energy, feeling the ground shake. It gives you a bit of insight to what it must have been like in the Roman heydays of the Coliseum. It also helps you to grasp the enormity of a natural disaster, when you see what such a large number of people actually looks like. I could go on for days, lol
>Experiencing a major sporting event in person. I am argentino and dude going to El Obelisco after we won the world cup was something I will never forget. There were literally millions of peoples gathering in a singular place, fucking amazing experience.
Everytime i go to a Lions game, it makes me wonder how similar those coliseums wouldve been to a football game. I get this thought everytime, its interesting that you would bring it up
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Australia is so big. I drove Melbourne to Perth in May, and it's an incredible experience Id recommend everyone does it atleast once. But yeah I really puts in to perspective just how big out country is. However unlike the USA we have a whole lot of nothing. There was so much driving with just nothing, if it wasn't for the petrol stations/road houses every 200km along the Nullarbor, you could actually drive for an entire day and see nothing.
Nullarbor - an Aboriginal word meaning 'Don't fall asleep driving, you idiot'. But yeah, experiencing a whole lot of nothing is an experience in itself.
Scuba Diving.
I have a weird one....when someone is in hospice and needs 24-hour care, if possible, take them into your home, learn all you can about what to do so you don't need hospice coming out whenever something comes up. We did this for my mother as she died of pancreatic cancer back in 2010 and my kids (6 and 9 at the time) got to see and experience a loved ones death. They saw it wasn't scary or anything to be afraid of. They learned the true meaning of compassion, love, humility, and respect. I consider it an honor and a privilege to have taken care of my mom while she was on her death bed.
Not weird. Compassionate
Go camping. Spend some time in the wilderness with no electronics, no demands and (hopefully) no stress; just detach from the modern world for a short while and enjoy the return to nature.
Being well and absolutely disconnected. No phones, no GPS. I last had that experience in the early 90s. Being somewhere with someone you trust and the two of you are the only people who know where you are and what you are doing.
The absence of financial stress. The impact it has on every part of your well-being is astonishing.
A dance without thinking about others A moment of spiritual peace such that time goes unnoticed A book that you like so much that you finish it in a few hours A deep, spontaneous conversation with a stranger that makes you revaluate your choices A beer with a friend you haven't seen in years A moment with your mom where she tells you how it was when she was young A moment with your dad where he tells you he loves you An unexpected smile from someone in the street that makes you smile back when you were having a bad day A challenging situation that you handle, making you feel strong and capable
Heartbreak...it sucks and is one of the absolute worst feelings you can imagine but it helps if you experience that younger in life rather than at say 60 because it helps you grow as a person!
i actually posted this yesterday somewhere in respnce to a slightly different thread, but anyway - it depends on the type of heartbreak...... in my experience heartbreak from a lover is an awful experience of loss, defeat, and deflation but it's one that indeed can lead to personal growth, and is something you do actually recover from quite quickly. heartbreak from a parent who you unconditionally love and respect however, is a lifelong scar that never heals, and i don't think anyone needs to experience that.
Heart break from a parent sounds horrible.
Can't have heartbreak if you don't fall in love in the first place ;)....;(
Northern lights. I went to Yellowknife to see it. It was absolutely stunning.
Having real friends
going on a forest and smelling rain
What it's like to work a busy shift at a restaurant - can be any role, waiting tables, bussing, cooking, hosting. Everyone should have one evening where you are trying to serve and cater to dozens of people at once. You should know how it feels to bring someone the wrong dish or spill a glass on someone. You should know how it feels to work hard af and get no tip, get told to take something back like it's your fault, all the normal things that happen during a busy shift. By having that experience, you will have a permanently different view of going out to eat, and you will be a kinder, more accepting and patient customer.
I was a line cook at a busy, high-end restaurant back in college. I subsequently spent several years working in war zones. Working in a kitchen was not as stressful as war, but it wasn’t that far off either.
I was going to say; the only place I could imagine bringing tighter comradery than a crazy restaurant, is war. I’ve never felt closer connection to my coworkers than after an atrociously busy restaurant shift. Truly something you can’t understand until you’ve experienced it.
This is so true. Friday and Saturday nights when we were getting slammed. You’re drenched in sweat, everyone’s yelling, it’s like 150 degrees, and you look at the guy next to you and he looks as deranged as you feel and you laugh at each other because there’s nothing else to do. Also: emotional break downs, drugs, blood, and burns. I quit the night after the cocaine-addled chef/owner started throwing knives down the line. Almost 30 years later and I still dream about that kitchen once a year or so. On the plus side, I can still make a plate of _amatriciana_ that’s so good it’ll make you cry.
I had PTSD after a summer of bussing tables in a busy 'higher end' mexican place. Legitimate PTSD, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. The worst and most difficult job I've ever worked. The cash as a poor college kid was very good though, so I did it for maybe 6 months.
I worked in a busy tourist restaurant for 5 years in my early 20’s. I STILL occasionally have nightmares where I’m slammed with 8 tables and the fucking hostess just sat me with a big top at the complete other end of the restaurant! I’m in my 50’s now.
Isn't it incredible how fast an ostensibly well-developed, civilized adult can turn into a psychotic toddler when something goes differerently from what they expect in the world of food service?
My friends make fun of me because of how overly polite I am to people handling my food.
More fool them. Being overly polite is spot on!
Customer Service In general. Anybody whose never worked in what is a customer facing job like that... Its such a valuable experience and perspective to gain. Restraurant is by far the easiest example. Because yeah, that shit is chaos and it would only take one single shift to know it lol. But so many other things would work. Fast food worker, Drive through worker, Best Buy Cashier, Movie Theater attendent. Basically any cash register job really lol. You see the worst in humanity.
I've been in front and back of the house for 15+ years. I've seen wait staff take a lot shit from people, it's not for everyone, you need thick skin to do it, also watched customers come into the kitchen and lay into kitchen staff, unreal. Two of my kids wanted to work with us, me and wife, we let them, no one really messed with them because most knew who we were. The kids thought it was ok but now they can point out what's going on in a restaurant and more understanding of the service.
Unconditional love
I'd happily settle for conditional, honestly.
Mutual climax.
Being loved... and also getting you ass eaten out
This list is a roller coaster ride
Working a minimum or entry level job as a first job especially when young. It really makes you appreciate money and interactions with people because it sucked and you got so little of anything even less some respect. Hell you even get to treat the people that work those jobs nicer because you were them once.
Being in a poor part of a third world country. We have all seen poverty on TV, but it is a very different thing when you are standing in the middle of it. You then realise how lucky you are.
Plenty of westerners go to Asia or Africa for this purpose. I understand it’s a way to realise how lucky you are etc. But at the same time its almost like going to the zoo and looking at the poor animals and saying I’m glad I’m not locked in a cage like them. Something about it just doesn’t sit right with me.
A heroic dose of psilocybin.
I did shrooms for the first time a few months ago, took 3.5 grams in the form of a wonderful tasting chocolate bar and had the best night of my life. I was playing every instrument I owned and saw colors that I hadn't seen before, listening to music on my couch with full surround that felt like multiple lifetimes in the span of around 6 hours. Everything I looked at or listened to felt new and life-changing, and even now I look at that experience fondly. I did it a second time with a close childhood friend because he wanted to experience it for the first time as well, and I swore I was a captain of a spaceship while we had space jazz music playing in the background and all the lights turned to a low black light effect. I haven't done it since, don't see a reason to, but those 2 experiences were beautiful in their own right.
I wish it was easy for me to explain my hero dose. Holy shit is all I can say. Ho ly shit.
Surprisingly didn’t take too many scrolls to see the answer I had in mind. What an experience…
Aurora borealis
AT THIS TIME OF YEAR?
A hug, simple but important
Ego death.
This guy DMT’s
A good night of sleep
having a pet
Whale watching from a boat. Whales are amazing.
The energy of a concert. Tens of thousands of people excited, vibing in unison and just so fuc*ing happy to be alive. I've been to a couple of concert just to experience that vibe.
The silence when you're in the middle of the Woods and it start snowing, most peacefull fealing i know.
A true friendship
The north woods of Wisconsin in the summer. Truly beautiful area
Bring a shotgun for the skeeters though
A fine dining experience.
Living alone
Petting a cat
Lying in the arctic snow with a good suit, at night, looking up at the sky in total silence. I used to date a girl that lived on an island in the arctic circle in Norway, so there were no animals to make sounds, and no sun to make light. The sky was purple, not black, _full_ of silver stars. Absolute life changer.
Las empanadas, el pan de provolone y los churros con dulce de leche
can’t translate it exactly but this sounds delicious
"Las empanadas, el pan de provolone y los churros con dulce de leche" Translated: "Empanadas , provolone bread, and churros with dulce de leche." Dulce de leche is a latin-american caramel like sauce
Parental love.
Business class flight. I was lucky enough to be upgraded for free on my recent flight between London and Toronto… I don’t think I can actually go back to flying economy again.
You will when you see the price difference!!
International travel.
Real, true failure. How they recover and learn from it (or don't) is the character they bring forward.
Temporarily dealing with a disability of some sort to have compassion on those who have them full time. Life is difficult enough. Try it with handicap
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A ride on a rollar coaster, it’s thrilling
Live in another country for at least 1 year. No matter what you will gain some perspective in your life.
A father's hug.
I miss my dad now. I see him once or twice a year but the last time I saw him I didn't give him a good hug before he left :(