The best thing you have ever done

[Goafer]

I was thinking the other day about the greatest experience I've had so far.

I used to be a member of a retro car forum (it shant be named for it was shit) and people in the european car community always talk about the Nurburgring and a trip there is almost like a pilgrimmage. So one year, someone was going and made a thread asking if anyone wanted to join him. So I thought "sod it" and joined up. I had never been on a holiday without someone else I knew personally. I had "plans" to stay at the tracks campsite, which was a case of show up and pay. No booking. So not really a plan as such. The other chap and his dad stayed in a local hotel. So there was pretty much no planning on my part other than booking the tunnel.

The day came (my birthday oddly enough) and I set off to meet them. Met them without a hitch (god bless satnav) and we set off. The trip was pretty uneventful up to Folkstone/Dover. When we got to France we pulled into the first petrol station. There were sports cars and bikes everywhere. It was obvious where they were going. The rest of the journey was the strangest car journey I had ever had. Everywhere I went we saw cars and bikes that were obviously going to the Nurburgring as well. The feeling of being part of a community was immense. Every stop we made was shared by another group of car nuts.

As we got nearer to the 'ring, I noticed some smoke coming out of the back of my car. My gearbox was leaking oil onto the exhaust and making some nice black smoke. Not a massive issue, but enough to be scary in the middle of Germany, 500 miles from home. The leak eventually stopped anyway. I think the oil had been heated so much from the journey that it had thinned a lot. Either that or the oil level had dropped below the leak.

So I went to the campsite to get a space. Luckily the people on the gate spoke English. There was a truck festival on though, so I was alone, surrounded by noisy, truck driving Germans.

Then I went to the 'ring and met up with my friend and his Dad. It was awesome. A racetrack in the middle of a load of forest and hills. Plus a whole tonne of exotic cars.

Due to my leaky car, I only did one lap, but it was awesome. Very hard to recognise it from games since it's different in the concrete.

I managed to get home safely too, which was a bonus. The weather at one point was so rainy that I could only see the lights of the cars in front. Couldn't even see the road markings. It was god damn scary, but I couldn't pull over since I needed to keep up with the other guy since he knew the way home and I didn't. My satnav only had so much battery too and i needed to save that for back in England.

Other than the leaky gearbox, the car didn't even hiccup. Which was good for a 20 year old car covering 1000 miles in a weekend.

I would consider that pretty epic by my standards. I'm pretty shy and had just spent a weekend alone, 500 miles from home and surrounded by people who spoke a different language. Luckily they were amazingly friendly. The ones I actually met at least. Plus I didn't mention the war, which was a plus.

Pictures 1 (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=35028&id=687920340&op=36)

Pictures 2 (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=35032&id=687920340&op=36)



So what's your greatest experience?

[Chris the great]

i beat audry hepburn to death with a chess set. it dosent sound that good but it was liquid joy.


seriosuly though, some of the biggest thrils ive had have been from exercise. breaking that physical and mental barrier and just doing the run/weight set that you never thought you could do, real transition from man to boy moment.

[MoogleViper]

seriosuly though, some of the biggest thrils ive had have been from exercise. breaking that physical and mental barrier and just doing the run/weight set that you never thought you could do, real transition from man to boy moment.

So you're backwards?

[danny]

Passing out of phase one training. Band of the royal marines playing heart of oak. Parents dead proud mums crying etc good times.

[Chris the great]

So you're backwards?

it appears so.

[Paj!]

I don't really have one...I'm still at school so yeah. Though I am going interrailing this summer with a group of friends who are the sort to get raped and murdered in Hostel-esque situations, led astray by the mention of whores/drugs/booze.

So we'll just see. I might end up being the hero of a horror film-like situation. I could finally put all the hours of re-enacting scenes from Alien/Terminator to good use. (shaking, crying, looking around corners while klaxons deafen me and I have epileptic seizures due to the lights going crazy etc)

[Razz]

Best thing I ever did was go to Japan, just me and a friend. I made it half way across the world, and back again, without losing anything, hurting myself or just generally getting myself killed. This is usually hard to avoid in just a normal day for my clumsy clumsy self.

[Noodleman]

Quit my job in September and went traveling for 8 months. Would go again in a heartbeat.

[Wesley]

i sign on here and post lot

[uəʌəsʎɐɾ]

Once down the Lagoon we had a bunch of pringles, peanuts and alcohol. We were throwing peanuts into the pringle pots and I said "watch this" and threw a peanut - it hit one pot, broke in two, and each part landed in another pringle pot. It was awesome.

[will']

Your trip sounds ace, goaferboy. What car did you do the trip in? It's something I'm hoping to do either this summer or next in the Lotus, something I've always always wanted to do but never had a car worth doing it in until now.

I'm not sure what I would say is the best thing I've ever done, I'll have to have a good think about that one.

[somme]

Move to Australia, on my own, aged 19, for a year.

[Ellmeister]

Once down the Lagoon we had a bunch of pringles, peanuts and alcohol. We were throwing peanuts into the pringle pots and I said "watch this" and threw a peanut - it hit one pot, broke in two, and each part landed in another pringle pot. It was awesome.

Epic.
Wish I could remember something amazing that I did.

[Dan Dare]

Probably horse back safari in South Africa. Gorgeous day of ambling through the hills and planes with the natural splendor of one of the most beautiful countries in the world all around us. Absolutely incredible.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

I don't know if it's the best thing I've ever done (can't really decide if I have one truly special event that qualifies), but climbing Vesuvius was really a rewarding experience. It was tough, it was steep, it was hot like hell, but when I got to the top it was amazing. Really felt like I had conquered the mountain. :p

[darksnowman]

i sign on here and post lot

You and I, Mr. Craven, we rock. :hehe:

[Goafer]

Your trip sounds ace, goaferboy. What car did you do the trip in? It's something I'm hoping to do either this summer or next in the Lotus, something I've always always wanted to do but never had a car worth doing it in until now.

I did it in a Mazda RX7 (http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v78/246/5/687920340/n687920340_769993_5140.jpg) (the one on the left). As far as I know the car is still on the road and working fine. All it needed after the trip was a new exhaust (it had been leaking for a while) and the gearbox looking at. Really was a superb car, but it cost too much to keep on the road (fuel and oil mainly) so I didn't have any spare money to repair it.

Definately do the trip. It's worth it. Plus it's not like it's hard to organise. Just book a ticket on the tunnel on a weekend when the track is open to the public and go there. There's no need to book at the campsite, just show up and pay.

It took about 10 hours each way I think, with stops/waiting for the tunnel. It was epic fun. I spent my 22nd birthday in 4 different countries. England, France, Belgium and Germany. I think we stayed on the same motorway from Calais to near the Nurburgring.

[Eenuh]

I've done many great things in life since I'm that awesome (ahum =P ), but one of them was meeting up with a stranger last summer and going on a trip with them. A three day trip to Paris and Disneylanddddd. Which actually turned into a one week thing because the Eurostar got cancelled due to fire. =P

Also, that stranger ended up turning into my boyfriend. X3

[bluey]

teaching in japan ^_^ my kids lessons in particular.
that moment when you realise they're getting it - you're teaching them something - it's amazing. and the reason that i'm going to pursue a career in teaching in this country. :grin:

[gaggle64]

I once told a member of a neo-spiritualist cult that I was a deaf mute. My finest hour.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

teaching in japan ^_^ my kids lessons in particular.
that moment when you realise they're getting it - you're teaching them something - it's amazing. and the reason that i'm going to pursue a career in teaching in this country. :grin:
... And this describes exactly why I want to become a teacher. The amazing feeling of passing on knowledge and understanding. :)

I once told a member of a neo-spiritualist cult that I was a deaf mute. My finest hour.
Genius! :D

[bluey]

... And this describes exactly why I want to become a teacher. The amazing feeling of passing on knowledge and understanding. :)

was teaching shapes to my little genius class of 5 year olds, they got all the circle, triangle square stuff really easily so i moved on to octagon etc...
drew the octagon on the board and got them to repeat it... they looked all :wtf: so i drew an octopus next to is....
them: "oct-opus!!"
me (pointing to octopus then octagon " oct-opus.......oct-agon!!"
them "...AAAAHHHHHHHHHH SO-KA!"
me "NO JAPANESE!!! ONE POINT FOR BECKY!!!"
them "NOOOOOO!!!!"

:grin: the mild torture over the points system was a pretty fun part of the job too....

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

was teaching shapes to my little genius class of 5 year olds, they got all the circle, triangle square stuff really easily so i moved on to octagon etc...
drew the octagon on the board and got them to repeat it... they looked all :wtf: so i drew an octopus next to is....
them: "oct-opus!!"
me (pointing to octopus then octagon " oct-opus.......oct-agon!!"
them "...AAAAHHHHHHHHHH SO-KA!"
me "NO JAPANESE!!! ONE POINT FOR BECKY!!!"
them "NOOOOOO!!!!"

:grin: the mild torture over the points system was a pretty fun part of the job too....
Haha! :D Well, I'm aiming at some older students. Probably about high school or university level. :)

[bluey]

Haha! :D Well, I'm aiming at some older students. Probably about high school or university level. :)
betcha they'd still go all "battle-royale" over a points system. 'specially if there was a pokemon toy in it for the winner at the end of term *nods*

hoo-boy!!

[Ganepark32]

Was trying to think of something meaningful to put in here but to be honest, I haven't led much of a memorable life. Yet.

Best moment for me, though, would probably be taking charge in art and telling my art teacher and the head of the department they were useless and lazy twats and that they should fuck off. Such a liberating feeling that one.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

betcha they'd still go all "battle-royale" over a points system. 'specially if there was a pokemon toy in it for the winner at the end of term *nods*

hoo-boy!!
Are you kidding? Of course they would! I know I would! :D

One of my classmates it really the biggest Pokémon and Disney fan I have ever met. It's crazy! :D

On a more serious note, the point system can be quite serious. Anyone read "The Wave"?

[will']

I did it in a Mazda RX7 (http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v78/246/5/687920340/n687920340_769993_5140.jpg) (the one on the left). As far as I know the car is still on the road and working fine. All it needed after the trip was a new exhaust (it had been leaking for a while) and the gearbox looking at. Really was a superb car, but it cost too much to keep on the road (fuel and oil mainly) so I didn't have any spare money to repair it.

Definately do the trip. It's worth it. Plus it's not like it's hard to organise. Just book a ticket on the tunnel on a weekend when the track is open to the public and go there. There's no need to book at the campsite, just show up and pay.

It took about 10 hours each way I think, with stops/waiting for the tunnel. It was epic fun. I spent my 22nd birthday in 4 different countries. England, France, Belgium and Germany. I think we stayed on the same motorway from Calais to near the Nurburgring.

How much do you reckon it cost you for the whole thing? Not sure I'd be able to camp (no way I'd get a tent + stuff in my car) but sounds like even with a hotel stay it wouldn't be too bad. Realistically it's going to be next year before I'll have time to do it but an early spring trip could be very enjoyable.

Having a think the best thing I ever did was start a website and go through a process of trying to get venture funding for it. Had a great business experience that I'll never forget. Didn't get any money in the end but it was a hell of a lot of fun while we did it. It also ended up in me getting my current job which has worked out better than I ever could have imagined.

[Goafer]

I can't really remember how much it cost in total. The main cost is fuel. It's about 500 miles each way from Oxford, plus however many laps you want to do. I'll try to list as many costs as I can:

Fuel: Depends on the cars MPG. 1000 miles total from Oxford (thats with driving to and from the campsite and 1 Lap). It's mostly motorway, so fuel economy should be good.
Currently 22 euros per lap (cheaper if you buy a load of laps at once).
Tunnel ticket: between £80 and £120 return. Thats per car, not person.
Hotel: couple of hundred euros?
European insurance/breakdown cover depends on insurer. I was entitled to free European insurance, I just had to let them know the dates. Can't remember how much extra I had to pay for breakdown cover. I don't remember it being a lot though.


It might be a good idea to get track day cover too. Although the 'ring is technically a public road ("derestricted toll road") and not a track, a lot of insurance companies are writing it into the contracts that they exclude the nurburgring or derestricted toll roads. Check your documents fine print. I couldn't see anything on mine so I chanced it. Bear in mind, it's VERY expensive if you crash. You have to pay to be recovered from the track (€185), pay for repairs to the barrier (not sure, but it's not cheap), pay for track closure time (€1350 per hour), safety car callout (€82 per half hour) and that's without your own stuff/trip home. Basically don't crash. When I was there, I saw a bike, a Peugeot 106 and a Starion come off on a lowloader. I assume they all crashed. Crashes happen a lot.

I reckon you do it for less than £500 for a weekend, maybe more depending on insurance etc. I think I took 800 euros and came back with about half. Although camping was something like €16 for the whole weekend.

I didn't do many laps though due to the leaky gearbox. I shouldn't have done any, they frown on leaks. I chanced it since the leak had stopped.


This site (http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/) is helpful.

[Emasher]

I don't think I've had the greatest experience of my life yet, but some good ones I've had:

Tons of epic stuff happened in my class last year the absolute best incident would have to be when a kid inflated a condom like a balloon until it was about two feet long and half a foot thick then tied it. The teacher (this was an PE class that happened to be outside), thinking it was a balloon told the kid to go put it in the garbage. The kid tried to, but on his way the wind took it and it blew over top of the school. This condom ballon was hovering over the school for a good few minutes and we just about died of laughter. It was a be there moment though.

Another one would have to be going to Miami last year and just visiting various places in the area.

Another one would have to be going to a camp outside of Montreal Quebec a few years back. I was with a few friends and a few others the camp itself was fun, and spending an afternoon touring downtown Montreal was amazing. But the end topped it all off. We were awoken at 5am for a speech. We spent the day packing up and then went to watch the closing ceremonies. After that (11 pm) we took out our sleeping bags and slept until 12:45 am. Then we sat at the Bus stop for an hour until 2 am when we boarded the bus and left for the montreal airport. We arrived there at 3 am and waited a few hours before we checked in our luggage for our 10:30 flight. That was when we learned our flight had been canceled for maintenance. We went through security to meet a West Jet representative to try and get on a later flight. Unfortunately, the 2:00 flight was full so we had to wait for the 5:30 one. We re-checked out luggage and went back past security. After 9 hours in the Montreal airport we finally boarded out first plane. We had to change planes in Toronto and then we finally boarded the plane that would take us home. And to top it all of, THEY LOST MY LUGGAGE! And my friends luggage too. I think that was the most tired I had ever felt in my life, when I got home I slept in longer than I think I ever had. For some reason, I couldn't seem to sleep in the airport. I still have the family record for longest time spent in an airport at once. Although, my dad who used to travel frequently for business has a few better stories.

[chrizkerr2]

The most epic thing happened to me today, well, I though it was epic.

Basically I was at my sisters school summer faire today, and they had this coconut game thingie (You know, where you have to knock them off). So there are five coconuts lined up and you get six balls, after having a couple of goes throughout the day (They are pretty darn hard to knock off), I went back for one last try.

First ball = 1st coconut down
Second ball = 2nd coconut down
Third ball = 3rd coconut down
Fourth ball = 4th coconut down
Fifth ball = 5th coconut down

So I still had one ball left and no coconuts to knock down, so the stall person put another one up but dug the cocunut into the holder (you know to be funny and see if I could get it down)

I didn't manage the last one, but still hit it hard (Made a crack in it \o/ )

Seems pretty meh to most people, but I was proud of myself <3 (Was funny hearing the people behind me going "Wow" "Awesome" etc)

[Coolness Bears]

I've done many great things in life since I'm that awesome (ahum =P ), but one of them was meeting up with a stranger last summer and going on a trip with them. A three day trip to Paris and Disneylanddddd. Which actually turned into a one week thing because the Eurostar got cancelled due to fire. =P

Also, that stranger ended up turning into my boyfriend. X3

I didn't realise I was your Boyfriend? :o

Oh... you meant that other guy you went to Paris with. ;)

:p

As of yet I've done very little of note. I put grapes in my ice cubes today. :)

[Slaggis]

As of yet I've done very little of note. I put grapes in my ice cubes today. :)

That sounds amazing, I'm doing that tomorrow to distract myself from revision.

[Coolness Bears]

That sounds amazing, I'm doing that tomorrow to distract myself from revision.

I haven't seen them yet I hope they are deep within the middle. :) I shall see my results tomorrow!

[The fish]

I've done many great things in life since I'm that awesome (ahum =P ), but one of them was meeting up with a stranger last summer and going on a trip with them. A three day trip to Paris and Disneylanddddd. Which actually turned into a one week thing because the Eurostar got cancelled due to fire. =P

If it wasn't for Disneyland, that would be a rather "aww"-inspiring little tale. :smile:

For me, it has to be going to Uni. It's been the best year of my life, by far!

[Rummy]

I don't want to take away from the thread, but I think I did the best thing I've ever done just a few hours ago, head over to the BISH thread to be checkin it out, yeah? So simple yet so brilliant.

[Jimbob]

I've done many great things in my time, i remember one being i didn't know my own strength and when some lads were taking the mick out of a late relative of mine, i somehow barged them through a locked door knocking it off the hinges.

I have told teachers and tutors they are useless and one particular one that a dog turd was more organised than he was (he kept saying there is a lot to do, then buggered off with the work)

[Nolan]

I fell off my horse at a highschool (american) football game. It was right at the start and in front of everyone.

Oh wait....that's the opposite of this thread.

I graduated is the best so far I guess, although I can rival Jayseven's accomplishment. In class I threw a tiny piece of paper not bigger than like a penny across the room. As it's flying through the air, a girl who's back was to me, was engaged in conversation. Conversation involves hand gestures if you don't know. Well at that moment she held her hand out perfectly for the piece of paper to be caught.

It was pretty cool.

[Dannyboy-the-Dane]

I fell off my horse at a highschool (american) football game. It was right at the start and in front of everyone.

Oh wait....that's the opposite of this thread.

I graduated is the best so far I guess, although I can rival Jayseven's accomplishment. In class I threw a tiny piece of paper not bigger than like a penny across the room. As it's flying through the air, a girl who's back was to me, was engaged in conversation. Conversation involves hand gestures if you don't know. Well at that moment she held her hand out perfectly for the piece of paper to be caught.

It was pretty cool.
Saw something like that a few years ago. I can't remember exactly what, but we were throwing some stuff through the classroom for fun, and one guy who was just sitting there, reading, suddenly raised his hand without taking his eyes from the book and caught whatever it was we were throwing. He looked up at his hand afterwards with amazement, having seemingly caught it on reflex without really thinking. 'Twas awesome.