N00bs

Good morning everybody. Happy Wednesday. The week's almost over. A few more homework assignments, a few more classes, a little bit of ROTC shake and bake and bam it's weekend number 5 for this semester.

A few other 200's and I went to eat breakfast at the lodge again this morning after PT. Once again it was a delight. The polite ladies that worked there and serve us apologized for us not seeing any basketball players (like we really care about that, we have enough shit to worry about). We're starting to become regulars there, which is great because nothing beats being welcome at such a nice place. Ironically enough, back a year ago when I was a ignorant freshman I actually blogged about Wildcat Lodge before I even knew what it was (http://deckerloyd.blogspot.com/2011/12/whats-up-world-yeah-thats-right-second.html). Now I know it's the home of famous athletes and I'm eating breakfast there on a regular basis.

I was doing some thinking last night about acting like you've been there before. Now I say "act like you've been there" a lot, and it's with good reason. In my lifestyle where I travel a lot, hang around classiness as much as possible, and typically end up in situations that just aren't 'everyday'; fitting in can be difficult. Obviously I don't mean the high school definition of fitting in where everyone tries to fit in with the cool kids; it's more of a sense of belonging.

Fitting in for me sometimes earns a serious connotation. Depending on my situation, fitting in is a matter of safety. Walking around medinas and slums of third world countries at night, let alone prostitute nightclubs, can be dangerous if bad people can pick up on the fact that you are completely fucking lost. Standing out too much in certain crowds drops a target on your head that significantly increases the amount of danger you're facing.

Other times, it's just a matter of getting in and not getting kicked out. You really limit yourself on the places you can go if you don't fit in. Places like Turf Club at Churchill Downs, Beverly Hills, South Beach, or any generally classy location require a high brow attitude. Without carrying yourself well you might not make it past the front door; and if you act like an idiot inside, you might just get kicked out. This is especially true if you're not paying for it (I'm a man of my free admission).

So what's the easiest way to put up create this aura that says you belong? Just act like you've been there before. Whether it's a Hollywood nightclub, a bar in Spain, or the streets of a Muslim country; if you act like you go there every single day then people will probably believe it. If it looks like you're unfazed by your surroundings you don't ever look vulnerable, trashy, or immature.

Think about it. When you're at a fancy hotel, who are the first people you notice who don't belong? For me at least, it's the garbage blue collar family who end up making it clear that they've never stepped foot inside anywhere fancy. They're always overly excited which makes them loud, completely inexperienced in the hospitality department so they end up pointing out everything they've never seen before ("LOOK MA THEY GOT AN ELEVATOR"), and everything they do points out that they don't belong there. Personally it pisses me off. All I can think is "Dear God, act like you've been there before."

Or if you're at a party. It's a fun party, not too rambunctious. It's the first week of school, K-week, August, etc. There's always 5-10 freshman who have clearly never experienced college before. I get it, I was a freshman once. College is fun. But there's no reason to annoy the shit out of everyone there because you've never been drunk before. Typically the most obnoxious of the freshman are removed, and they wake up in the hospital.

Or walking around the medina of Fes. There's always some lady not paying any attention, getting pick-pocketed, and annoying the shit out of the locals trying to go to work. Those are the people who make a bad reputation for travelers (particularly American) in foreign countries. 

Acting like you've been there before removes most of the idiot resonating out of you and pissing off those who have been there before. And you only have to act like you've been there before once. When you go back you don't have to act, because you've actually been there before. 

Nobody in the western world likes a noob. If you don't have any clue what you're doing, you can figure it out and learn. But in the mean time, don't be a clueless nuisance. The difference between an obnoxious tourist and a welcomed visitor is the sense of belonging. 

That's all I have for today. For those counting, we have 30 days until Spring Break. I will be in the Miami airport in just over four weeks. But anyway, until next time...