The Most Life-Changing Thing I Did When I Got Lost in a Foreign Country

Don’t listen to anything.

I couldn’t get back to my hotel.

I stood there alone on the glimmering streets of Paris with a low-battery charge and some macarons I bought from the local shop. I walked in circles passing the same old statues with some famous white dudes I can’t name.

So what did I do when I couldn’t find my way to the nearest subway?

I popped in my headphones and listened to music.

Music gave me the strength I needed to zone out and enjoy the scenery.

I guess the first thing I should’ve done was panic for lack of a better word. But you and I both know that panicking only makes the experience traumatic rather than inciteful.

How many times have you heard from your parents “Don’t turn your headphones up loud while you’re walking on the street — especially while you’re in a foreign country”!

Well, maybe they haven’t said that but it’s an unspoken rule for sure.

After you’re done panicking that you’re lost, the most sensical thing to do would be to ask for directions — a little hard to do when people are climbing over a gate in front of you.

Turns out they blocked off a few of the famous monuments after I got my macarons because of the Yellow Jackets. So I couldn’t take the same path back to the subway station.

I had to walk in a huge-ass circle to get by.

What did I do on the long-ass walk?

I turned my music up louder.

Living in the moment gives you more appreciation for the unexciting moments.

That moment will be in the center of my mind whenever I think about Paris. Not marveling at the old statues of white guys. Not gobbling down bowls of fondue (even though I loved it). Not standing on top of the Arc De Triomphe.

It’s me walking on the street with my earbuds in gazing at people living their everyday lives.

You might ask, how can you live in the moment with music blasting in your ears?

Everything’s a distraction.

If I had a choice of going deaf or blind (God forbid either), I’d rather go deaf. There’s something about hearing nothing and seeing everything that gives you a better appreciation of life.

There are millions of disgusting sounds out there that can ruin what you see.

Would you rather gaze at a stunning Lamborghini or hear the engine?

Let me put it this way. If you saw a Lamborghini, would you know it’s a Lamborghini by how it looks or how it sounds?

At least when you’re listening to music you get to listen to one sound of your choice that you like. You can take things in better for what they are rather than what they seem.

Final Thoughts

There are plenty of downsides to listening to music in a foreign country. You could get robbed, hit by a car, etc.

But before all of these worst-case scenarios happen, wouldn’t you want to take in life as much as possible?

Listening to one sound only is the best way to do this. There are too many disgusting sounds out there that can ruin your experience.

So what are you waiting for?

Get some cheap headphones from the dollar store and start listening now.