#4 - Shrooms in Aruba

One of my all-time FAVORITE travel stories.

From beginning to end - oversleeping, befriending strangers, following the vibes, meeting a man, & untangling my religious knots - it's Emmi coded.

Come along with me as I take you through my day of finding my friends in a hidden alcove in Aruba & trying Shrooms for the first time.

Enjoy!

Recorded Dec 2023 or 2024 - who knows.

Thank you for listening!

Website: PotatoComedy.com

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Okay, this is present day Emmy in May of twenty twenty six and I have to preface this episode. I have to preface this episode. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 0:08

So I either recorded this in December twenty twenty three or December twenty twenty four. I think it's probably irrelevant. Either way, I recorded this when I was still very much smoking. I don't um I don't smoke weed anymore or like consume weed anymore. Um that's a whole other episode anyway. So I recorded this when I very much had like, I think probably taken edible and smoke for joining kind of thing. And let me just say, okay, if you think that this is a bit slow to start, or you know, or I say a lot of likes and so's and have a couple tangents, I mean I am not kidding when I tell you. I probably cut out like 30 minutes of nonsense.

SPEAKER_01 0:58

I cut out 30 minutes of nonsense on your behalf. Um because I knew that you you wouldn't want that. And so you guys know. But I made a lot of cuts to this episode to have this make sense. And what I also wasn't doing at the time, this was one of the first episodes that I had recorded.

SPEAKER_02 1:21

Maybe it was 2023. It was one of the first episodes I had recorded, and it was before I realized that I needed to write show notes before I record an episode. And uh so this whole episode I was just gonna be going off of memory. So the amount of minutes that I cut out that was just like me sitting there like trying to remember what I'm supposed to say. But anyway. Um so bear with me. But I did I did pull it together and you know, let it cook, let it cook for a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

You know, give it give it a good like 10-20 minutes, and I don't blame you if you put this on a faster speed. Like that makes so much, it's almost painful to listen to it at a regular speed. I do love this episode and I do love this story. Um but I just had to let you know that this was when I was still a big weed girly with no notes and it chose. Enjoy.

SPEAKER_02 2:16

Welcome back to another episode of Stories I Wouldn't Tell My Nana. If you are not watching this on YouTube, I will set the scene for you. I'm currently at one of my house sits in Ohio, and as you can see, I have one of the dogs on my lap. Um, this is Bunny, and then there is a a beautiful German Shepherd on the floor next to me, and they are both sleeping, and they've had a very fun day today.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

And I usually okay, so Bunny is a French Bulldog. This is a little tidbit, super quick deviation right off the bat. So Bunny is a French Bulldog, and I am not a French Bulldog girly, like at all.

SPEAKER_02 2:59

I they can't breathe. They need like a CPAP machine to get through the night. That's annoying. They like can't really go on walks. They're they usually have two brain cells, and they don't find each other most of the day.

SPEAKER_01 3:17

And I don't know, I just and they feel like just little meatballs.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

Like they're not like I like a softer dog, like they're just like a they're just like a loaf of a loaf of cement, like they're just a loaf of rock.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

However, bunny has really taken to me, and we have formed, I think we have an understanding that you know sometimes I need my space, but she is a really good snuggle dog because she will just like snuggle on your lap and just straight up fall asleep.

SPEAKER_02 3:55

She won't move, like she'll just stay there and sleep. And her story is pretty cute. So we I have not converted to a French Bulldog girly.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

I still am not a French Bulldog girly, but there are exceptions to every rule, and I do really like Bonnie. She is a really sweet dog, and she's really good.

SPEAKER_02 4:19

She's really well behaved. That's the other thing with small dogs, is that a lot of times they're more rebellious or they're not as well behaved, or will have accidents in the house, or things like that, which is can be super frustrating, but she's a really good dog.

SPEAKER_01 4:36

So she so anyway, we are snuggling. I I would not be surprised if the mic picks up her snoring because she definitely will be snoring. Uh so that'll be funny, but yeah, she's just out like a log, and so is our German Shepherd over here, too. Sweet boy.

SPEAKER_02 4:59

Oh, they're so sleepy, it's so cute. Um, okay, so this is one of my all-time favorite travel stories. Shrooms in Aruba. This is gonna be a more one of my more detailed travel stories, but really I think the best parts of it are in the details. So I think it will make sense that I'm kind of, I am gonna be walking you through like moment by moment, but all of this happened in really just an afternoon. So it's, you know, kind of thinking of it like an episode of something where, you know, it's this like long, you know, there's the like there you get a lot of details of what happened in like one specific point of time. I would really love some pistachio ice cream right now.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

And there's some in the freezer, but I am not letting myself have any until I finish this episode. Because I need motivation to stay on task. Do you have anything you want to say, Bunny?

SPEAKER_02 6:09

So why I love this story so much is because it really was just the perfect like alignment from the universe, I feel like, and everything just like was pointing me to my friends with me having no context of where they were, but being able to find them on in a different country on a an island, like an on a different country that's an island that essentially every line of coast is beach. So the only information that I had was that my friends were going to a beach. I had no idea where they were going and basically ended up finding them. So it's really the process of finding them that I think was nuts. So we're gonna take a zoom in on this one afternoon that ended up truly being one of my all-time favorite days of my life. One of the best stories. I think it's I think as far as like true travel stories, this is my favorite story. I really wanted to kick these first few episodes off with something really fun and just, you know, I don't know, just this really like crazy coincidental, but also like a really good sneak into my brain and kind of how I think about things and how I am when I travel. And um, and also just this insane universe working in sync, like meant to be kind of day. And I just feel like it's truly at the heart of what makes me love traveling so much and really center my life around it because it's moments like these, and it there's like stories like these ones that getting to live that and experience that, like you can't just you couldn't not fall in love with adventure and travel and making like really creating incredible memories from thin air. Um, and I am excited to tell you this story. This is this is really one of my favorite stories. Okay, so so we are gonna be zooming in a lot during the story. Um, so bear with me with the detail. I will try.

SPEAKER_01 8:45

I don't think I I can't foresee many tangents here. I I don't foresee too many tangents um or too many other open tabs.

SPEAKER_02 8:56

So we'll see. That might all change very soon, but I should be able to stay on task and we're gonna and we're gonna tell you a good story and get you out of here. A group of friends and I went to Aruba for a trip, and basically one night um one of them mentions that they had shrooms. I didn't know that. And that they were going to, they had plans the next day to go do some shrooms on a beach. And I was like, oh my gosh. I so I have at that point, I had always wanted to do shrooms and wanted to try it, but never have. Um, I would say weed. What am I allowed to say? Can I say weed? What do what is what does YouTube prefer? I say weed, marijuana. I'll say all of them so that way I can just cut it. Weed sits really well with me and is definitely like my preference for sure. Um, I don't really drink very much. I will drink on occasion, but I like I haven't completely cut it out, but I really don't drink very much. It sparks very little joy unless it happens to be a really nice tasting drink. It really does not spark any joy and gives me a headache like immediately.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

Um you are snoring so loud, little puppy. It's it's not the tangents I have to worry about, it's gonna be me trying to remember what I was gonna say next. That's what's gonna cause a delay.

SPEAKER_02 10:30

Okay. Also, can I just note I see why people get mic stands, like a mic stand. I also I I before I really started doing this, I was curious as to why mic stands were the go-to move.

SPEAKER_01 10:45

Obviously, I knew it was hands-free, but I didn't really see how annoying it is to hold a mic, especially a heavier mic, for like the whole in one place for a while.

SPEAKER_02 10:56

So another motivator to stay on task, tell a good, tell a great but concise story, and then move forward with the day. Definitely a weed girly, it sits really well with me, and I feel like has helped me it has changed my brain, it's changed how I think about things. It has definitely really helped me um get to like the deeper roots of my thoughts, I would say, and it really helps me in my creative process um and when I'm writing and when I'm doing or when I'm doing like work admin or you know, when I need to like plan something, um events, things like that. Anyway, it it's really helped me in a creative space as well. So I have always thought that shrooms would sit well with me. I think it's I think I'm in that, I think I'm in like the psychedelics Hogwarts house for sure. So for the past few years, I had been really open to trying shrooms, but I wasn't openly seeking them out at all. And I put zero effort into finding them. I just was like, you know what? When the time is right for me to when the the time and the setting and the group of people is right for me to try them, then I'll try them. So I really just didn't push it, didn't rush it, nothing like that. And so when that when he mentioned that to me, and he was like, Yeah, we're gonna be um, you know, we're gonna go to a beach and we're gonna do some shrooms and whatnot, and then just kind of hang there for the day. Um, I was like, oh my gosh, that is perfect. Like what a the I couldn't imagine a better way to be introduced to shrooms or try them when you're with a a small group of friends and you're going to try them, you know, on an island that is very safe. Aruba is very safe generally, and um and at the beach, at the beach while you're on vacation, you know, that and have it be like spontaneous, not a planned thing, just kind of, you know, I'm finding out, I was finding out like the day before. Um, so for me, you know, it be it was spontaneous. And I was like, oh my gosh, this is like the this is exactly what I've been waiting for. This is like the perfect chance to try them. And, you know, in a space where people have experience with them already, and you know, and just a really small group, like kind of thing. So I was like, okay, cool, this is this is great. And so he was like, oh yeah, so I'm going, and then um, and it's just gonna be me and this other woman. Um, so guy friends, gal pal. Um, guy friend, gal pal. And he was like, he was like a few, you know, maybe some other people might join. Um and we talked and we kind of went through that a little bit, but he was like, ah, like, well, this person and this person might join. Um, but you know, for now, I'm just planning on on it being like her and I kind of thing. And then he invited me along as well, and I was hype. I was like, this is perfect. This is exactly what I was looking for to try this for the first time. And so I was so excited. This is definitely gonna be like my favorite day of like our time there. Um, so I was, yeah, I was so excited. I was like, this is the moment. Okay, anyway, you get the point. I was psyched. We're staying in a hotel, and they told me what time to meet them downstairs. And we're like, okay, we're gonna leave at 10 a.m. So like make sure you're downstairs by 10 a.m. and we're gonna leave. Um and you know, whatever, go from there. 10 a.m., you know, reasonable, very reasonable time, nothing too crazy. Oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, okay, okay, okay. So back up. The only these are the only details I knew. So we were staying in a hotel and he had said we're gonna meet downstairs at 10 a.m. And then the only part of the plan that was conveyed to me was he was like, Yeah, so our plan right now is to walk to the lighthouse in Aruba. So Aruba is a really small island in, I think, considered the Caribbean, there's debates on whether it's in South America or not. Essentially, the entire coastline is beach. Entire coastline, their job is beach. And there is this like one, there's there are a handful of things that are kind of more of the well-known things to do because obviously it being a smaller location, there is a lot of things to do and places to eat and whatnot. But they're like there are a uh, you know, a top 10 list, there's a top 10 list, you know, something like that, of like some of the most popular things to do. And they are like pretty well known because again, it's a smaller area. So anyway, so a big thing, um, so one of the big attractions in Aruba is this lighthouse. So it's this really tall lighthouse, and um, so this was the second time that I'd gone to Aruba, so I had already actually gone to this lighthouse and climbed to the top of it. Climbing to the top of a lighthouse. Okay, the view is beautiful, but those spiral staircases make me so nauseous. I do not like a spiral staircase. I anti-like a spiral staircase. Oh my gosh. And it and it's always such a tight space, and it really just makes me ill. The view is always gorgeous when you get to the top. Um, I mean, I guess that depends on where you are, but oftentimes if you're gonna walk to the top of a lighthouse, it's because there's a cool view. Anyway. Um, so yeah, it's just it was just like it was small and cramped. Anyway, but I but because I had been to Aruba before, um I knew where the lighthouse, I knew the lighthouse, I was familiar with it, I had been there before. And so even though I still needed like, you know, I still needed to get kind of directions or understand like where it is in relation to where we were, um, I, you know, had to clarify that, but I didn't like, but I generally knew what he was talking about. And so it made sense that he was like, okay, so we're gonna walk from where we're staying to the lighthouse. And all I knew is at that point he had said that the plan was to um take them when they start the walk, and so that way they'll hit by the time they get to the beach, was his initial plan. Um now keep in mind because Aruba is pretty much all coastline, it's all beach, everything, it's all beach. So I knew like I knew that they were walking towards the lighthouse. I had I did not know what beach we were going to at all. Um, so but of course I was like, okay, cool, I'm gonna be down in the lobby at 10 a.m. It doesn't matter that I know any more detail than this. It doesn't matter that I don't that I know what beach we're going to. Um and you know, that doesn't matter because I'm gonna be down there at 10 a.m. and we're gonna all leave together. Well, if you know me well, or you've even just spent maybe even 48 hours with me, you will know that I am a sleeper. I sleep a lot. So I and I have a super insane sleep schedule, a very weird sleep schedule. It's all over the place. Um, and I'm working on it like I'm trying to sleep train myself like an infant would. Um I I am working on it. This is gonna be another night of me sleep training, so that's another motivator for me to get through this story a lot faster than I am, so that way I can have a little, a couple little bites of pistachio ice cream, and then I can go to bed at a normal time, which will be before midnight. Okay, so we're gonna do that anyway. All right, there was a tangent. So you know that I'm a sleeper, and you know that I am often late and I often sleep in, and I am working on it. It is I don't know what to say. I mean, this is it's this is not an excuse, but it's how I've been for like the past, you know, 10, 15 years. I just I sleep at weird times, I require a lot of sleep. Um, and sometimes I miss alarms and sometimes I'm late to things. I'm actually people are more surprised when I'm not late. I know. I know, and I know that I know, okay? We can talk about it some other time. I'm working on it always. Maybe Saturday night we had gone out, something like that. I can't quite remember, but either way, doesn't matter. I overslept. I don't know if my alarm didn't go off, or I you know what? No, I think I had set my alarm for like 9.40. Um, and probably another one for 9.50. And I think I turned both of them off when they went off and was just like, okay, cool. I'm just gonna lay here for a second, like super tired, and just being like, all right, I'm just gonna lay here for a second. Um, and then 100% ended up like falling back asleep. That is probably the most emmy coded morning I could ever describe to you. I can't tell you how many times in my life that I've done that, where I just turn off alarm and I'm like, no, no, no, I'm just arresting my eyes. Don't you worry, I will magically be awake in 10 minutes. And then I'm not. So I shoot awake at like 10 15. And I was like, fuck. I so I open up my phone really quick and I we We're chatting on Instagram, and so I see that I have a message from my friend that's like, Hey, are you coming down? Like, are you up? Okay, we're like gonna leave. And the last message he had sent was at 1010 a.m. And I knew that he was gonna turn his phone off. Like he just he's very much the kind of guy that is like that on this kind of day where you're gonna like kind of have this like this walk, this like relaxing, you know, beach day, and then you're also like taking shrooms on a day like that, you're not on your phone the whole day. So he a hundred percent was the kind of guy that was like when we didn't have Wi-Fi, like he would just turn his phone off and just you know throw it in his backpack kind of thing. So I saw that the last message was at 1010, it was 1015, and I sent him, I sent him messages and was like, oh my god, I'm so sorry. Like I overslept, are you still downstairs? And the messages weren't getting delivered. And I was like, ugh, I was like, they totally left. And so I at this point, I was like, I had so I the the part of the plan that I knew or that I had thought was that they were gonna be walking, and so I was like, okay, so right now walking, I'm like five minutes behind them, is where I'm at at like 1015, right? And so I'm like, okay, I'm five minutes walking behind them. Like I and I was so this, it wasn't like, oh shoot, I overslept. Okay, let me just go back to sleep, or I guess I'll just do something else. Like, no, no, no, no, no. It was I overslept and I was like, no, no, this is my plan for the day. This is like my dream experience of taking shrooms. Like, this is my plan for the day. I will be doing this. And it was just like, I am gonna be trying to find them until I until the day is over. If I don't find them, I that is what I will have done all day is look for them. So anyway, so I'm like, okay, I'm just a couple minutes behind them. So I'm like grabbing stuff in my backpack and you know, packing my little day pack. I have this, like, I have a water bottle that's my like ventilator. So I have my water bottle that's insulated and keeping everything cold. Um, I put sunscreen on my face, but I didn't pack any sunscreen. So I only put sunscreen on my face and did not pack any sunscreen. Rookie move. So I, you know, do the whole thing. I change into um my bathing like I put my bathing suit on and then my put my clothes over top of it. So I'm just wearing like uh, you know, fabletic spandex kind of thing, and then my my green Scooby-Doo t-shirt that I love. Um and packed my sunglasses and then packed my sunglasses with me, packed my towel, um, obviously I had my shoes, and that was pretty much it. Like that was so I was just like grabbing those things. Um yeah, I was just grabbing those things, putting them in a bag, um, and that was pretty much it. So I go downstairs and at this point I'm probably at this point. If I had to guess, I bet it's like 1025, 10.30 kind of thing. Like I was I was keeping a brisk pace, but I didn't just grab a couple things and sprint downstairs. Like I, you know, I was like, yeah, you know, I gotta do my morning routine, like I gotta do my skincare, I gotta put my sunscreen on, I gotta get stuff in my bag, you know, so I'm not like rushing through it. So then I go downstairs and I do a click, I do, I do a loop around the lobby. Um, I am like pretty positive that they're not there, but I was like, just in case, let me just like you know, look outside a little bit, walk down the street a little bit, um, and then look in the lobby. And I don't see them. And so I'm like, yeah, okay, so they're gonna be like, you know, they're walking, they're gonna be like this amount of time ahead of me at this point. And but I haven't eaten that morning yet. I obviously missed the free breakfast, so I hadn't eaten that morning yet. So obviously I'm gonna get some food. Like, duh, I need to eat breakfast. I can't, I'm about to go on a walk in the like afternoon rubisan. Like, I need some nourishment. Okay, so I get in line and I'm just you know waiting in line for breakfast. I get, you know, I don't end up getting a coffee or anything, but I get like a breakfast sandwich, and then I get another sandwich and maybe something else to pack in my bag because I'm like, yeah, I'm like probably gonna get hungry. Um, so I think I like put something else in my bag. Um, and then I had my you know little breakfast, and then I was like, okay, cool. All right, we we are on our way now. And so um, so at this point, it's a I would say it's about 1050. And so I'm assuming that they left at 1010. And so I'm like, okay, so right now I'm about 40 minutes behind them approximately. And I'm like, I know it's my guy friend and then um a girlfriend as well. And so I'm like, okay, 40 minutes behind them, I'm looking out for two people, and here we go. So I'm like, all right, this is my plan. I'm gonna take an Uber or a taxi to so I on my phone, I pulled up Google Maps and I mapped from where we were staying to the lighthouse and the route that was if you're walking, how long of a walk it was, the route it was. And it was a much longer walk than I had anticipated. So it was I will need to double check in fact check. I will need to double check this, but I'm gonna say it was an hour and a half walk. It might have, it might have actually been longer. It wasn't two hours, but I think it was somewhere between like an hour and 15 minutes, hour and 45 walk. I let's just call it an hour and a half. So it was quite it was quite a long walk. And I was like, oh, they're like really if this was the plan, then they're really going for it this morning. I was like, okay, they're like, they're really going on a long walk. I'm like, okay, cool, here for it. So I map, so I'm looking on the map, and I go to I start clicking different points that are around kind of the halfway point, and I basically find a spot just like kind of a random like beach area, like a random, I think it was like a random like food place. And after messing around with Google Maps for a little bit, I was like, okay, so that area is a 40-minute walk from where the hotel is right now. So I'm gonna call a car and have them drive me there and I'll be looking for them on the way, but I'm gonna call a car and have them drive me to that spot. If we don't see them before that, I'll get out and I'll start walking. And, you know, that's um I'm heading towards the direction of the lighthouse. That's really the only landmark that I have at this point. And so I realize they don't at the time, this may have changed, but at the time, Aruba did not have Ubers. So Uber is not working. I cannot call an Uber, which is, you know, reasonable. And they only have taxis, and the taxis only take cash from where we were. And I did not have cash. I did not have, I think that I can't remember if they take USD and their own currency. I can't remember what the currency situation is. Um, but either way, I did not have cash. And so I'm like looking around to see if there's anybody that I know or that I recognize, like, I don't know, in the lobby to be like, is there anyone I could like ask to Venmo? And then they give me cash. And so I'm looking around, I don't see anybody familiar. And so then at that point, I start walking around looking around for just someone who seems really nice, and you know, most likely a woman, but it could be a man as well. I'm just really looking for someone um that looks friendly. And so I see these, this group of three women, and um I walk up to them and I I can't remember exactly what I said, but I said something along the lines of like, hey, this is gonna be, this is gonna be so random. I don't know if I prefaced it with something like, hey, this is gonna be so random, or like, hey, I don't know if you're in the mood to do like a huge good deed or like a huge favor for me, or something like I don't know if you're in the mood to do like me a huge salad right now. Um, I don't know if I prefaced it, but I basically was like, Do any of you happen to have cash on you? And one of the women was like, Yeah, I do. And I was like, I know that this is gonna sound so odd from a stranger to hotel. I get how this sounds. I need to call a taxi to go try and find my friends. And they the taxis only take cash. I don't have any cash, and I did not bring like my debit card down with me, so I can't like use the ATM or anything. I will Venmo you right now. The like you can watch me Venmo you. I will Venmo you right now the exact amount I'm looking for. But do you have like, I think I we ended up doing maybe like 40 bucks, something like that. So, and she was like, Yeah, no, I can definitely do that, like no problem at all. And I was like, Oh my gosh, thank you so much. Like this is seriously so helpful. So we pulled up our Venmos and I, you know, plugged it in 40 bucks and sent it to her. It confirmed she saw it, hit her account, and I was like, okay, cool. I was like, thank you. And then she handed me 40 bucks, and I was like, thank you. Seriously, thank you so much. Like this is a huge help and greatly appreciate it. So super fun little side quest already, right out of the gate. Um, was able to find someone who had cash that I could Venmo. So I had cash for the taxi. So I find a taxi outside and I hop in the car and we confirm that they speak English, and I pull up my my iPhone, like Google Maps app, and I'm like, okay, cool. So I tell him like the direction we're going, and I'm like, so we're I was like, okay, so I was like, this is gonna be kind of an odd request, but it's gonna be super fun. And I'm like, okay, sir, so we are looking for two of my friends. I believe that they left here walking. I think that they left here on foot. Um, I think that they're walking, and we are and I described what they looked like, and I was like, okay, so we are looking for these two people that are walking on the side of the road, and or we're just gonna go to this location. So if we see them either way, like, here's your money, like I'll give you whatever. Um, but I'm just like, we are looking for these two people, and if we find them, I'll get out. But if not, then this is the farthest point where I'd like you to take me. Um, and then I'll, you know, get out and go from there. So he's like all in on it. So we like, you know, I explained the whole situation, he's all in on it, and he's like, okay, cool, like, got it. So we start driving and we're both looking. We're both looking, like all we're both like spanning, and I'm like so like I'm like holding both of the car seats, like sitting in the back seat, and I'm like looking out both windows, and he's doing the same, and you know, he's like confirming like what they look like, who we're looking for. Um, and so he um so we're driving, driving, driving, and don't see them. So don't see them. So we end up getting to the stopping point that I had mentioned to him, and it is just the side of the road. Like, obviously, when you're looking at Apple Maps, and this happens to me all the time, or I'm looking at Apple Maps, and I'm like, okay, cool. Like, Apple Maps is telling me to go there, it's a place, all good. And then so many times you get there and you're like, I shouldn't be here. Like, you're like, this is so sus, or you're like, I picked a weird spot, and you're like, I but you didn't know. So, anyway, so he's like, You want me to drop you off here? And I was like, Yeah, sure. So it is literally like the side of the road where there's like some sand, there's some trees, and then obviously, I mean, we're passing beaches on beaches on beaches. So um I get out and I'm like, and we also like at this point, so this was also I take the beaches part back because we this is when we had um been driving past a lot of like accommodation. We're kind of getting out of like the city city and getting more towards like um there's still houses and things like that, but there was a lot more of the like beach spots that weren't just beach spots that were in front of front of like a private business, but beach spots that were like open to the public. So we're also driving up on more of those. And so I just get out on the side of the road and I'm like, thank you so much. Give him his money, have a great day, super appreciate it, all that fun stuff. Um, and so I get out and I just, you know, grab him a backpack and I just start walking. I'm like, all right, let's let's look for him. So I am so I'm just walking on the side of the road. At this point, it's probably like I mean, we're into 11 a.m. Like at this point it's maybe like 11.10, 11.15. So it's been an out about an hour since they've left. And so I'm like, okay, cool. Like this is, I mean, if they're walking, which is like that's all I know of the plan, is that they had mentioned walking. So I'm like, if they're walking, then and they're heading towards the lighthouse, then they're somewhere around here. They must be somewhere around here. And so I just start walking, and then every time there is every time it opens up to a larger beach spot that's more open to the public, um, I basically would just dip in and kind of just stand there for a second and just do a scan of the beach and just see if I saw them at all. Um, because I also am like, I know it's going towards the lighthouse, but I don't know what beach it is. So I kind of have to look at all the beaches. And so I'm looking around and then it wouldn't be them, so I would keep walking. At one point, I saw two people standing like in the ocean. Like it was, it was one of those things where they were standing really far out, but the water is really only up to like their knees. Um, it it just was like a really it was like low tide at the time. And so I stood because from afar it kind of looked like them. So I was like, oh, maybe they stopped to like take a dip in the ocean. So I'm thinking that maybe it looked that it kind of looks like them. And so I stood there for probably five, ten minutes. Like I stood there like looking at because they were far away. So I stood there looking to be like, is it them?

SPEAKER_00 38:35

I don't think it's them.

SPEAKER_02 38:38

No, I think that's other people. Like I but I was like, but then I they would turn a direction and I'd go, I don't know though, it could be them. Like it does sound if you've walked for 40 minutes minutes in the sun right now, it does sound so nice to get in the water, like a hundred percent. So it is possible that it's them. I'm looking, you know, I end up taking just some pictures of the scene while I was there anyway. It was super pretty. The water is gorgeous, and so then I'm just like, no, it's not them. I think I also, god, this is gonna sound so creepy, but I think to like I didn't have like binoculars or anything. So I think one thing I did, I didn't take any pictures of them, but I think I did pop up my phone and like zoom in to see if I could just see that person better. Um, and then ended up determining it wasn't them. Did not take any pictures of them, just trying to like see if it was my friends. So keep walking, and then the the beach area becomes more of the like private beaches for homes or just more of a residential area. And I could see the lighthouse. The lighthouse is pretty tall. So I can see the lighthouse, I know I'm going in the right direction, and then I just kind of hit a point where I was like, all right, I'm really only gonna deviate if I look if it looks like the beach is a really good lead, but I'm really not gonna deviate anymore. I'm just gonna book it to the lighthouse because that's the only other thing that I know right now. Like, I'm not seeing them on beaches, I'm not seeing them walking on the sidewalk or walking on the side of the road with me. And so I'm like, all right, let me just book it and get to the lighthouse, and maybe they stopped at the lighthouse for a little bit. Like, I don't know, let me check out the vibe. So maybe they stopped at the lighthouse, we'll see. So I'm now this is the point where I go, okay, I have one water bottle, and I am, and it is hot outside. This there is not a cloud in the sky. The rays of sun are just shining down, and this is when I'm looking at my arms. I'm wearing a t-shirt like this, like that has this, you know, length of sleeve, a shorter sleeve. And I'm like, why did I not put sunscreen on my arms? Why did I not put sunscreen on my legs? Like I'm wearing, you know, like spandeck shorts. I'm like, what am I doing? And I only put one layer of sunscreen on my face, and I don't think I brought it, or maybe I think what I did is I only had like a small face stick, and so it was like, oh my gosh, I'm not gonna like this. Isn't gonna work on my body, like it's like a really tiny like stick of sunscreen for your face. I think maybe I had brought that, maybe I had brought that, but I was like, and I don't have a hat, you know, I just have my sunglasses on, and I'm like, I may be a little unprepared for this voyage right now, but I'm like, uh, whatever. And so I'm just at this point, I'm like, I'm just gonna follow the vibes. Let's just follow the vibes. We're gonna go to the lighthouse and see what's up. So I am walking up, like it the road now is like winding, and now you're getting to an area where you're surrounded by dunes, sand dunes, and you're also going uphill. So I'm at an incline, not a cloud in the sky, sun is shining down bright, no one is walking. There is no one else walking with me. I there's a bunch of bunny, did you just fart? Bunny, gross. Um, there's oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 42:36

Good lord.

unknown 42:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 42:40

So there's a lot of cars passing me. There is a lot of ATV tours and like golf cart looking things passing me. There is not a single other person on the road. And when these people are passing me in their ATVs, they're like, Are you okay? Like, are you like they're giving me these look? I'm seeing the people in their cars and in the ATVs that are coming down because they're going up and coming down. Um, and they're just looking at me like, is this woman okay? Like they're like, this, they're like, no one's walking this right now. Like, is this they're kind of looking at me like maybe I should remember her face in case it's on the news later, like that kind of thing. And I'm just like, whatever, it'll be fine. Like it's I'm not in danger, it's in the middle of the day, like I'm hot and I need sunscreen and perhaps more water, but you know, it's not dangerous. So I'm walking up and I get to the lighthouse, and the lighthouse is crowded, and I'm looking around and I'm just like, and I I I do a sweep of you know the area, and I'm like, okay, my friends aren't here, like I don't see them at all. Um, and I'm thinking about it, and I'm like, okay, like they're going off to do shrooms. I was Like, they're not gonna want to be around this many people. Like, this is a lot of people. This is very touristy. They are not gonna want to be around all of these people that they don't know. And it's a hot day in Aruba, and there's no water. Like, this lighthouse is landlocked. This lighthouse is like on a hill. It's not anywhere near the water. And so I'm like, so this lighthouse is not touching water. The back half of the lighthouse is like all ugly and like, you know, construction or government stuff or whatever. And I'm like, this is not the vibe. This is not the shrooms vibe. They would want to go near water a hundred percent. They would want to go near water right now. And so I'm like, okay, they're not here. And I'm, you know, I'm looking for a bathroom. I'm trying to see if there's any food up there. Um, the restaurant up there was closed, of course. I was like, damn it, like, come on. A restaurant with like an air-conditioned bathroom would have been like really nice at that point in my wayward journey. However, I run into one of my friends that's on an ATV tour. So I run into a friend that is on an ATV tour, and she was she is like, What are you doing? And you know, I kind of I just generally tell her I'm going to meet up with like our other friend, like, you know, anyway. And um she was like, Do you have sunscreen? Like, do you have a hat? Do you like can I help? She was like, Who are you with? And I'm like, Oh, I'm by myself. And she was like, Oh my god, like, do you need stuff? And I was like, I mean, you know, I won't turn it down. So she gives me her hat. So she had, I think she had an extra one, um, or something like that. Or she was like wearing a different covering for the ATV tour, so I don't think she like needed it kind of thing. So she gives me her hat and she gives me what's left of like her bottle of sunscreen. So I would say there was like the bottom, like I would say there was probably like 20% of this sunscreen bottle left, and she gives me the sunscreen bottle. So nice. So she gives so I reapply, and she was like, Girlfriend, you are red. You are red. And I was like, oh fuck. I was like, I know this is I was like, I I was dumb. I should have put on sunscreen this morning, and this was stupid, but whatever. And she was like, Yeah, you need to cover up. So anyway, so I put on a lot of sunscreen. She takes a picture of me before we part ways because she was like, you know, just in case anything happens, just in case we need to go looking for you, I want to know what you looked like last and what you were wearing. And I was like, honestly, that's fair. So I'm like now, you know, now I have this like second wind and this newfound excitement because I'm like, okay, cool. I kind of like re-upped a little bit here. Um, and so I start, I basically go away from the lighthouse and start walking. I'm still on the road or still on some sort of path at this point, but walking towards like the sand dunes and towards the water. And so I stood on this kind of it's still kind of in an elevated area, and then you go down a a bit, like on an on a decline, and then you run into the beaches, but the beaches weren't right there, like it was still a bit away, and so I'm pretty far removed from the coastline itself. Um, but I'm standing on an elevated surface, and I just I'm just standing there and I'm just like, okay, we've come this far. It's already been this has already been like a really fun day for me, honestly. This has been a fun little hunt, and I'm just like, I am so determined. Everything in me was like, you are going to find them. I was so determined to find them. I was like, this is what you are doing today. You this was like a scheduled fun activity, and you are not going to miss it because you overslept. Like the shrooms on a beach in Aruba is what you are doing today. Like this, come hell or high water. I will figure this out. And I was like, you know, but even like, and then it was like, and if I don't find them, whatever. I'll just end up like posting up at the beach and you know, I'll go jump in the ocean, and it's still gonna be a great day. But I'm like, I'm gonna find them, and I just felt such good vibes. I don't even know how to describe it. It was just a full-body conviction that I was going to find them, and I just felt, yeah, just such good vibes. And I was like, okay, universe, where do I need to go? I'm I need to follow the vibes, and I'm like, where should I go? I'm like, I just need something, I just need some sort of starting direction because again, the whole coastline is beach. So I'm like, I need some sort of direction to start in. And then I will just walk the coastline from there and just see if I'd run into them on the beach. Because at this point, I can also see that it's very secluded. This isn't this area, there are not a lot of people. Like, these are not the the beaches where people are like going. It was very secluded. There was not a lot of people out in the direction that I'm looking. And so I'm like, okay, cool. I just need I need to see people in the distance. Like, I need I want to see some people in the distance. Let me just like I just need a place to start and to you know get like a little bit of a hunch. And so I'm standing there just panning, surveying the coastline for like 10-15 minutes, probably. Like, I'm just looking around and I'm like, come on, I need something, just give me something. And so then in the distance, I see these two people. So I see what I think is a man and a woman, and I'm like, okay, cool, that is a place to start. And so I'm like, all right, let me just walk towards them. And even if it's not them, then you know, if they've been down here, maybe they've run into them or maybe they've seen them. So let me just walk in that direction. I see people, let's just start somewhere. And at this point, now I'm like walking through sand dunes, and there wasn't like a sign that was like, don't walk here. It wasn't like that, but I am walking through sand dunes. It isn't, I am not on a path. Um when right before I had gotten off the road, an ATV tore past me and the tour guide pulled over and he was like, Hey, are you good? Like, are you okay? Do you need a ride down the hill? Like, I can give you a ride down the hill. Um, and I was like, Oh, no, no, no. I was like, Oh, I'm like walking in the dunes, like towards the beach, and and he was like, Okay. And I was like, All right, great, but thank you so much, super appreciate it. Um, so you know, it definitely was I was like, okay, good. So this is not something that people do regularly. Great. Um, so we um so anyway, I and it's a lot farther than I think it is for sure. It's definitely farther away than I anticipate, but I'm like, ah, whatever, it's a nice day. I'm fine. So I'm walking towards these people, and as I'm getting closer, I'm like, okay, it's not them. And so I'm like, all right, but I am, you know, and we're still quite a distance away. I am not good with estimating distances um for like a storytelling purpose. I have no idea, but they were not like we both could obviously like see each other, but they weren't like next to me. Like they were like still a bit away. So anyway, I see I am close enough to know that it's not my friends. So then I'm I'm something just like comes over me and I'm like, let me just yell. Like, let me just see if they know anything. Let me see if they have any information. And so I just yell out and I was like, Hi, um, excuse me. And I'm like, quick question. I'm like, have you seen a man and a woman anywhere around here? Have you seen another man and a woman like down by the beach? And they go, could it be two men and one woman? And I was like, Oh yeah, because that's when I had remembered that my friend had mentioned, like, oh, these other people might be joining us as well. And so I was like, Oh my god, I was like, Oh, I bet it's one of them, and I was like, Yeah, like it definitely could be two men and a woman, and they're like, So then they yell back to me and they go, they yell back to me and they go, Yeah, they're down there by that rock. And I'm freaking out. I'm like, oh my god, it's them. It's them a hundred percent. It's it has to be them. And then as I start to go, they shout at me again and they go, You'll know it's them because you'll hear their speaker. And I was like, Oh my gosh, a hundred thousand percent that's them. Oh, absolutely, they brought a speaker and two men and a woman, like that is the group description. I was like, Yes, a hundred percent this is them, and so my pace is picking up. I'm like, I'm in a little bit of a sand jog down to them. And you know, I kind of come up over this hill, and I, as I'm kind of walking down, I look at this rock and I see, I recognize their towels. I recognize the towels that they have, and I'm like, no fucking way. Like, I am freaking out. I'm like, no fucking way, no fucking way. I I cannot believe I found them. So I'm like running over to them at that point. I see all their stuff like by this rock, and then I keep going, and they are like in this alcove almost. I don't know how to else describe it. There is this like large kind of channel of rocks that was the amount of water that would come in and out definitely would change with the tides. Um, but it was just this like large area of like rocks that almost had formed its own little like um little ocean pool kind of area. And still waves are still coming in, but they're getting broken up a lot by the rocks. So I they are like around this corner in this alcove, and I they don't see me. They're all like I I think I see like parts of them maybe, or I just I know that it's that I know that they're there. And so I had dropped my stuff, and then I run up to them, and I go, and I just yell, oh my god, I found you guys. And these three heads pop out from each, like all these different little rock alcoves, and I just see one, two, three, each of my friends, like their heads pop out, and they all are like, What the fuck?

SPEAKER_00 56:06

Like, how did you find us? All of them were like, What is happening right now? Like, what are you doing? And I was like, Did you guys already take the shrooms? And they're like, Yeah! And I was like, Oh my god, this must be insane for you.

SPEAKER_02 56:20

And so they all like, then they all, you know, get out of where they are and come over to me. And I tell them what happened. So I go through the story, and they're all like, What? They're like, We are not wrapping our our heads around the fact that you are here right now. They're like, How did you find us? That was insane. And I was like, you guys, it was meant to be like I was so determined, I knew I was gonna find you guys. And so what they had actually done is they did leave the hotel around like 1010, but what they did is they didn't walk there and they didn't take the shrooms before they left. They also took a taxi all the way down to the lighthouse. So they skipped the whole walk. They took a taxi down to the lighthouse and they snapped some pictures in front of the lighthouse and um and you know, explored for a little bit. And then what I didn't know is they did this was a specific spot that they knew about. So um one or two of them had been to Aruba previously as well and had gone to this spot and had like done shrooms, and so it was kind of their like little spot, and I had no context of that, but um, so they did have some sort of like direction that they were walking, and it happened to be like the direction that I ended up walking, um, which was good, but which was like also just crazy coincidence, like that. I it I kind of made a beeline for them almost without knowing it. I course corrected a little bit, but kind of made a beeline for them. So that's what they had actually done, and that's why they had had gotten there, like they had been there for a little bit longer than me. Like, so so they had been there for maybe 30 or 40 minutes, and they had taken the shrooms and they had like started to hit, and they weren't like in the full like thick of it, but they had started to hit. And so it was my two friends, and then it was this guy that I was just meeting for the first time. Like I didn't, I hadn't met him before that, and um, you know, they um my friends were like had known him or were kind of like briefly connected to him, sort of, but um didn't really know him that well, like just kind of hopped along, like, oh, we have this in common. He happened to like they knew that he like did shrooms kind of thing. So they were like, oh yeah, just come with us kind of thing. So um, and this, you know, this other man that they had with them, I was like, I just took, I didn't let my brain go crazy, but I did just like take note. I was like, this is a very, this happens to be a very attractive man. Now I was like, I don't know anything about his situation. I don't know if he has a girlfriend, I don't know if he's married, I don't know what his deal is, I don't know if he's gay, I don't know. So I'm like, I am acknowledging that he is a very attractive man, but I'm not gonna let my brain go wild or like hop straight into flirting, like nothing like that, because I'm like, I don't know his deal. And I had also, I guess, Easter egg for future epis episodes, but I had also already like had come out of a really bad streak for quite a bit of time where men that were in relationships were like pursuing me or involved with me in some capacity, um, or like basically men that that were in a relationship, I had had some experience with them like coming on to me, or me not knowing that they were in a relationship until like after something happened, and then me finding that out. So I really had my guard up in that respect, and I was just like, you know what? I don't know anything about this guy. He could be in a relationship. Let me just assume. Why don't I just go ahead and act and assume like he's married? I'm gonna assume that he's married and not assume that he's a single man, and I'm just gonna like, you know, approach it that way. So that way, just a boundary is drawn, and I'm not like getting all giddy enough in my head about like flirting with some guy that like you know could be taken. So anyway, so I was like, Do you guys have any of the shrooms left? And they were like, We actually do have like a little bit left. And so they gave me, you know, what was left, and um, I was like, oh my gosh, this is so exciting. So the two friends ended up kind of going back to their little alcove spots, like they were like, Yeah, you know, we're gonna do our own thing. Like they didn't really, as their trip was starting, like they didn't really want to like talk a lot kind of thing. They wanted to like reflect, meditate, be with nature, look at nature, and kind of do their own thing. And I was like, Yeah, totally cool. So this guy that I was had met, um, we kind of sat in this little like rock pool kind of area, and he was like super down to chat and be social, um, which I later learned is like I really not his vibe. He's really not a big, like chatty social. He yeah, he's not socially awkward at all. It's not that he's very friendly, but he just like doesn't like to just like chat with people. Um, so that was yeah, not super indicative of his personality. Um, but so fun. So he was like down to chat, and so I just started asking him questions and like getting we got it, got to know like basics, and I started asking him questions, and I was like, Okay, so have you like done shrooms before, or like what's your and he was like, Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like he was, and then he like starts telling me about how he's done shrooms and like gone on like a journey is what they call it, and um he has done like ayahuasca, and that is on my list as well. And I was like, Oh my gosh, I have a thousand questions about your ayahuasca experience. So we just like got into that conversation and I was just like a sponge, I was soaking everything in. And then one thing that made this experience like so much better and just so cool is that he like walked me through kind of the like almost the ceremony or the spirituality of like shrooms and what I could be expecting and you know how I might react, what I might want to do, um, and walked me through like more of the um historical aspects of doing shrooms and how it was medicinal and how it's used in other cultures. And so he knew so much about it and not this just like party recreational doing shrooms in a music festival, like that kind of it wasn't like that. It was like he like before he takes shrooms, he like sets an intention about you know something that he wants to work on or something that he really wants to like break through and or something that he really wants to think about, meditate on. And so he like sets an intention before he takes shrooms and then he takes them, and then you know, he kind of explained to me he was like, Yeah, like oftentimes like people will, you know, it is possible to hallucinate, but a lot of times you'll see like different kinds of colors, and he was like, People really like to be in nature and like with nature, so you know, you might start to see like different colors, or you might start to see different like kind of hallucinations almost, or just like um things, and he was like, Yeah, this is a really cool space to do it, and like because like we're in the water, like that's really fun, and so he's kind of like walking me through also like the timeline of like when he thinks it might hit, or just like what I might feel, what I might experience, and so it was so cool because it was almost having just like this really like hot shaman, like walk you through what you're gonna feel, like it was really cool, and he just knew so much about it and really just completely elevated my experience because it is like to me, like that's also how I now approach shrooms, and that was my first introduction to it of like it isn't something that I I don't want to like take shrooms and like go to a music festival or I don't want to like take shrooms and like party, like it's nothing like that. It's like I like in the times where I'm taking shrooms, I want to more like I want to go inward and I want to like meditate, I want to look at nature, um, I want to be in a creative space and um kind of let my brain wander in that capacity. And then a lot of times I just want to like lay there with my eyes closed and just like really go inside my brain and just kind of work through things that I need to work through and really take that time. So that I feel like is all because he walked me through it in the way that he did. So that was so cool, and just like it felt like just the biggest meant to be perfect scenario reward to like this day that I had had. It was. Was and wearing the Scooby-Doo shirt was really like the cherry on top for sure. Um, but it was yeah, it was so cool to be able to find them and feel like I earned doing shrooms. Like I feel like I really had earned it because I had truly gone on my own like journey to get there before I did it. Um, and then I really ended up having an amazing experience. It was really therapeutic. And I, you know, took some space to like after hit after it really started to hit for kind of both of us, then we like separated and I like went in a different direction. And then people would kind of rotate between, you know, sometimes people like we would chat, or sometimes we like somebody would go off on their own and go on a walk. Um, or sometimes we would just want to like sit in our space or like lay in our space and just like meditate. So there happened or just like be quiet. So there happened to be this rock that was like shaped that was at a perfect like incline that it was kind of like a chair, but it was out in the sun, you can hear the water, but it's kind of covered by some shade. Um you can you're right next to the water, but you're out of the water, you can hear the waves. And so one of my friends, after he had kind of that internal time, he gave up his spot on the rock and let me lay on the rock, which was so clutch. And I really just closed my eyes and I just went inward. The best way that I could describe it is I would say that all sense of my ego was completely shed. It really felt like I was able to focus on things that were more important. Like in that moment, I was like, oh, what I look like does not matter, what I have does not matter. Like it was this complete shed of like, okay, who are you as a person? And I felt like I was going inside my brain and kind of getting this like tour of it. And what I found so much peace in is I you know, I do have anxiety, and I am like, I'm gonna say I'm 90% sure that I have a tinge of ADHD um in talking to people recently who have like who I've like worked with and whatnot, they're like, yeah, it's like it's coming out for sure. And I'm like, okay. So um, and just someone that like my brain is constantly going. It is like on my brain is going all day. Like it is ping-ponging off of itself, it is going, going, going all day. Um, and or sometimes the tap is just completely off, and that's usually when I'm super tired. Um, or you know, whatever. It's just like the tap is off. But um, a lot of times that's why I always have something in the background playing in my life. You know, I have like I'll have a movie playing, or I'll have a podcast or music. I'll always have like something going on in the background because it kind of like distracts a part of my brain, like it it kind of uh distracts and takes some attention from a part of my brain that would be distracting me from whatever tasks that I'm doing, because there's always like multiple dialogues going on of just like, okay, I need to do this, I need to do this, okay. Like I just take myself down so many rabbit holes on a daily basis. And so being that I feel like that's how my brain functions so much of the time, I always thought that my brain would be a really chaotic spot. I thought it would be a really chaotic space, and you know, I thought it would feel overwhelming and it and then I would feel anxious and it would feel like a lot, and it really didn't. It I felt so at peace and it felt so like beautiful and serene, and it was like the inner workings of a mind. And I feel like I got to shed a lot of the yeah, a lot of the ego and a lot of the um a lot of the thoughts that buzz around my head, but are really just like surface level thoughts. So I was able to go down to like a different sub-layer. And it was such a beautiful experience. It was such a good experience. I, you know, I did my own, I worked through a couple knots that were in my brain, a couple things that I was stuck on and thought through those and really gave those the space to like untangle that. And so that was amazing. Um, I thought a lot about the people in my life that I really like, I love and I cherish and how grateful I am to have them in my life. And I feel like I just really I took the time to think about each of them individually and like ruminate on it for a little bit and then just kind of, you know, this if you're not like this, this is gonna sound dumb, but this is I don't know, whatever. This is me. So I just like send them good vibes, send them love, send them good vibes, you know. I think that some people in other religions or other like beliefs would would say that they like prayed for them. That's really like that's that isn't what I say. That isn't really what I would categorize or say that I did, but I was just sending them like a lot of just like good, like good vibes, good thoughts, a lot of love, and just really took the time to let my appreciation for them really download. And so I did that, and then and then I really okay, I don't I don't think I want to get too much into this on this episode. If you're interested in hearing about this, let me know. And I'm happy to do a different episode and dive deeper on it. Um, but I will say I really I had been putting off conversations with myself about my spirituality, about my beliefs, about you know, religion. Um, I had really put it on the back burner and was just like, I'll get there when I get there. I was like, but right now I know that I don't really resonate with the Catholic life that I was brought into. Like I disagree with enough in the Catholic Church and am enough removed from that community that I'm just like, yeah, this is just this doesn't resonate with me, but I don't know what that means for me. And so it was really in this time that I I felt like there was space created for me to like dive into that topic and really think about, okay, what do I believe? What are things that really resonate with me? And what are things that yeah, that I bel like what do I think about the world? If I had a blank canvas and I can take what I've learned, my experience, but also my intuition and you know, just my internal belief system. Like if I took that and put that on a blank canvas, um, what do I really believe and that really sits well with me? And so I really dove deep into that and created like the foundation for what is still very much my belief system on how I operate in the world and what I think the purpose is or the places, and I felt like I was able to really zoom out, and I am more of kind of like a universe kind of spiritual person. Um, the having one specific God or having like a god involved, um, having um one specific religion be my end all be all, that just doesn't resonate with me. Um it feels very created and controlled by people for their own self-interest, has been my experience. Um, whereas I do believe that there are so many things that are connected and that doing good and being good matters. I think that good things come back around, and when you just innately want to do good for the sake of being good, and you do it in part also believing that like good things will come back, like good creates more good, and so and that there is something bigger at play, but I don't I'm not married to like what that is, like I don't have like a specific idea of what that is. I do think that there is something bigger at play. Um, and you know, there is just kind of this universal like spiritual connection among like all living beings, I think. Um, but I don't like it doesn't matter to me if that's like a god, like it doesn't make a difference in me or like my actions if that is a god or if that's a being or if that's a this or a that. Like that doesn't matter to me. My actions and my attitude about my life doesn't change just because I like know who the manager is. Like it's just it doesn't, I don't need that. Like I'm okay. So that really helped me kind of like untangle and really formulate my kind of beliefs around that. And it I kind of was able to create something that really resonated with me and just like think about everything I've learned, everything I've experienced um in and not in religious organizations, and just you know, kind of compiling all of my knowledge and feelings and whatnot and and perspective and kind of formulated this like belief system. And um, you know, that's and that's to this day is still like how I feel. Um, so you know, it was such a cool, positive experience, and I absolutely loved it. It was the best setting, the best lead up, and the best experience. Like it was truly incredible, like absolutely one of my favorite days of my life. And you know, after that, we I I had some like side conversations with like each of the people that were there, and um I and so basically we all like did our own thing, like had this great trip. We as we were wrapping up um and like packing our stuff up, we really took the time to like look at the beach, and the amount of litter, not even I don't even think litter is the right word, the amount of debris and waste coming in from coming in with the waves was insane. And this is not like it is very much not an Aruba thing. This is waste that has been broken down and it's been it's traveled hundreds or thousands of miles and ended up on this beach because of these currents. And I I have this picture that I've saved and I really want to I will post. Um, but I have this picture that I found of like an intact dove bottle cap, and you can see the dove logo so clearly, and it's like one of those bottle caps that's like on a shampoo bottle or like you know, something like that. And so I took this picture of it, and then you can see the beach in the background, and it was just like this is insane, like the amount of weight, and all of us are very much on the same page of just like the amount of waste that we are creating and the amount of garbage that is in the oceans, and now ending up here, broken down microplastics are covering the beach. And the friend who had been there to this spot before was like, Yeah, when I was here a few years ago, this was not here, like this was not happening. We could not, with in the area where we were in, like we couldn't take a step in sand that didn't have microplastics in it. They were everywhere and tiny, tiny, tiny. Um, and then there were also like there were some like bigger pieces of like debris and trash and whatnot that were also coming in with the waves. Um, and so each of us, like we were like, okay, before we leave, like let's leave this space. Like we had such a great day here, let's leave this space better than we found it. So each of us grabbed like 10 to 15 like pieces of trash. Um, because we were like, we each were like, okay, we're grabbing 10 pieces of trash, and then we, you know, ended up throwing in a couple more. We were like, all right, let's grab some trash. And we're like, look, I mean, this amount of trash is all gonna be here when like it's all gonna get replaced probably with the waves in the next like 20 minutes. But you know what? Let's leave it a little bit better than we found it, and you know, just like appreciate this space. We did not create this mess. Um, but let's appreciate this space that we, you know, enjoyed. Um, so that was that was really cool. And that was a really cool like conversation to have with them too, being that my back background and my degree is environmental or well, I wouldn't say my background, my my degree is in environmental science. Um, and you know, being able to like bring that side of me out was really fun because that doesn't get brought up in, you know, like that's not a part of my like day-to-day like conversations or like job. So it was really fun to dive into that and everything that I, you know, had learned because I love my degree. So, you know, bringing up things that I had that that tapping into that side of my brain was really fun with these people that all like were on the same page, and we were like, this is a problem, like this is really bad. So that was really cool to be able to do, and so we're all just like then we're just chatting, we're shooting the shit, and they're like, Okay, cool, let's now we want to walk back to the hotel. And I was like, You guys, I've already done like 15,000 steps today. I was like, I am not interested in walking back, and they're like, Yeah, sucks. Like, we we're gonna walk back though. And I was like, Okay, okay, and we did. So we ended up um at and when we got to one of the beaches, um, that happened to be one of them that I had like peeked around and tried to see if they were in. Um, they had like this burger stand, and I was like, oh my god, you guys, we have to stop and get food. Like that sounds amazing right now. So we stop and we all grab like these big ol' burgers from this, like, you know, beach shack, beach snack shack, and um, and I think they had like smoothies and things like that. So that was like probably one of the best tasting burgers I've ever had. Like, it was just like after like a hot day that I like worked hard in and it was also like so fun. It was just, but it was, you know, it was an exhausting day. And then just like having just being able to indulge in this burger, it was delicious. Like it was just a burger and then probably like a strawberry smoothie. It was just like, oh my god, this is like this is the world's best burger right now, and it absolutely was. Um, and yeah, and then we just and we kept chatting and then we walked back to the hotel um and showered, and then we ended up like hanging out all that night, and I did find out that that guy was single, and um, so I started to let myself flirt with him. This is a story for a different day, but just a little Easter egg drop. Um we flirted a little bit and um we did end up hooking up. There's a video of us like walking into a bar after we had like he had just kissed me in the taxi on the way there. Um, there's a video that one of my friends got of us like walking into the bar together. It's kind of fun. Um and um yeah, and he is he is like a really great guy, and that was so fun. Um, and basically just a really quick summary of that one is we did end up dating for a few months. Um, and then I ended up ending things. It just there were some things that weren't lining up, whatever. Anyway, he's a great guy. He's nothing, he truly is nothing but green flags. He is a really great guy. It just didn't align. Um, but both of us like so we did collab though, like after like months after that we had like ended, we did um film an amazing race audition video and send it into the amazing race. We didn't get it, but we were submitting it as like X's. Um, so that was super fun and um really funny to do, and I love that video. But um that is a story for a different day. But that is my shrooms in a Ruba story, and hopefully now you can see why that is one of my all-time favorite stories, truly one of the best days of my life, and so fun, memorable, travel-coded, adventure, good vibes, meant to be like it had it all. So great. Um, and on my nana scale, I would say, so on a scale of one to five, which I'm trying to decide if I should like assign like the one to five anything else. Like, I feel I a part of me wants to go, okay, after I tell this story, like how many rosaries is my nana gonna pray for me? Is she gonna pray one rosary or is she gonna pray five rosaries after hearing the story? And honestly, I feel like if she well, the part she wouldn't like is the part where I don't agree with her on her religious beliefs. She wouldn't like that part of the story, but the whole adventure of finding if I take the shrooms part out, it is a really great story. It's still a great story without the shrooms part. She would not like the shrooms part. Um, but I would say that that story, like, I feel like on a scale of one to five, the story itself she would love, which is the tough part. It's just the shrooms and then the me kind of unfinding Jesus almost. Um, she that would not be her favorite thing and would be an argument against doing shrooms, but for me, it would be an argument to do shrooms. Um, so I would say I'm gonna give it a three. I'm gonna give it a three out of five. I would say that hearing that story, there are parts of it where she would be really proud of me and love my adventurous spirit, and there are parts of it where she would be like, Emily, this is not you are not on the right path. So I'm gonna say she would probably pray three rosaries for me after hearing that story. Um not too bad. So come back soon for the next episode. I'm gonna continue sharing different stories about my life and letting you in on the puzzle pieces that make up the inside of my brain, my spirit, my life. So thank you so much for being here. This was so fun. And I will see you next time on Instagram and TikTok. I am at Potato with Makeup. Love you so much, Potato Pals! Thank you for listening to another episode of Stories I Wouldn't Tell My Nana. This has been Shrooms in Aruba. And if you didn't already listen, we have Lad's Night about one of my favorite one night stands.

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We have Cage Diving with Great Whites, um, about the time I went cage diving with great whites in Australia.

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Um we have fat ass white girl coming up, which is oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I just burped. Um, which is about two, I'm really prepared today. Um, which is about two different incidents eight years apart, where two different guy friends called me fat in front of a room full of people and no one said a thing about it, and how I handled it and how I felt about it was very different because I was at two completely different places in my life. Um we have Heartbroken in Geelong coming up. Um that's a that's gonna be a two parter, part two won't be until season two. Um oh my gosh, there's so many. We have the runner girls, so that's an episode where um I bring in my two younger sisters. and we talk about how differently we both grew up. Or we all grew up. Um, I did not grow up in the same house as my three sisters. So um we talk about that. There's so much more coming up. Thank you so much for being here and I'm excited for you to keep listening.