This Week
- Exploring Budapest for a week!
- Pics from long walks around the city, parliament, bouldering, thermal baths, night walks, and an EDM concert!
- The other side of this week that I haven’t showed on my social media…
November 2026
| Su | M | T | W | Th | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 12/1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Where In The World Was I?
- Chania, Greece 🇬🇷
- Athens, Greece 🇬🇷
- Budapest, Hungary 🇭🇺
Athens
Just for an overnight!
Budapest
Why did I come to Budapest? Claude told me to lol. I figured I was in Europe already and to make the most of it by staying an extra week. I wanted a nice city, eastern Europe, good value for money, and Budapest came up as a top option, so I went 🙂
Last time I was here was 2 years ago, November 2024 for another Onem trip.
Got an Airbnb for the week – beautiful view!!
Morning coffee
Getting a second coffee in the morning and people watching – such a vibe
Exploring during the day
Went bouldering!
Exploration run
Exploring at night
Rudas Thermal Baths
Went to an EDM concert at this thermal baths place Saturday night – Music was okay, vibe was cool, just a very unique and interesting experience drinking and listening to music in a crowd of people in a thermal bath lol
Dinner on repeat: pasta bolognese, burger king chicken sandwich, fries, oreo shake – the perpetual struggle to get enough macros and calories while traveling. I miss Butter Protein Club 😭😭
Travel Recs
I brought back my custom travel profile I started back in Singapore Dec 2023! (The Week I Let ChatGPT Plan My Travels Inside Singapore, December 31st, 2023)
This is all still true lol:
A lot of areas of my life, I plan a lot, I like control, and I’m incredibly detailed.
Travel is one of the few areas where this is NOT the case. I’m not too sure why it’s ended up this way.
…
My dream is to have a personal travel planner, something I heard Bill Perkins (he wrote the book Die With Zero) talk about.I just want to get a notification that everything is booked and that I just have to show up at the airport on Thursday afternoon.
But AI has improved so much. A friend last week was sharing that he’s created an AI assistant that does ALL the research AND books his hotels and flights and transportation for him. He just gets a notification of his bookings and the credit card transactions. I thought that was so cool. I didn’t need all of that, but I did want help actually DOING things in Budapest. I knew I could just lock in and work all week, and that’d be fun, but I was also like let me DO something, so that my brain can have some anchor memories to remember this trip.
So I claude coded a little thing to use my travel profile and give me recommendations for Budapest. The Rudas Thermal Baths, bouldering, EDM concert, were all from AI that I liked!
Vibes
I forgot how much of a vibe Europe is. Everyone dressed well in their overcoats, nice shoes, walkable places, bustling streets, coffee shops, cool fall weather.
Growth
Back in 2024 it had been 4 YEARS from posting on social media.
Nothing.
But I had a plan.
Once my software business gets more traction, THEN I’ll get back into it.
It made sense in my mind. Until I said it out loud.
I came to Budapest in November 2024 with Onem and my friends called me out on my own bullshit.
“Meglis your life is so cool why aren’t you sharing it”
I was terrified of how my past friends would perceive me. All the people that knew me as the software engineer, the 9-5er, the matching band kid… They didn’t see who I grew into.
And THAT was holding me back.
It was an hour of breaking down every excuse I had, showing me it was all fear that got me back into it.
THIS PHOTO was my first one back… After 4 years… And I came back this time and took the same photo
And I’ve been posting Instagram stories consistently every day since this day.
The lesson?
Cherish your friends.
And question all your rationalizations.
-> The Week In Budapest With The Boys, November 17th, 2024 (I fucking love that I document my life like this, this is SO cool to be able to re-read and re-experience these memories).
Biz
Back into it this week. Had more calls this week. Posted a bunch of reels and recorded two new youtube videos in the Airbnb!
And man something about recording those videos just felt good… confident… convicted… present, calm. Really proud of how those felt.
Excited to share them when I get around to editing everything in my large backlog of content 😂
Philosopher Walks
One of the things I wanted to do while I was here is talk to some strangers, go on a date or two. But I’m still feeling that approach anxiety. I missed a couple opportunities to say something and felt myself start to get a little more down, disappointed.
Until this morning I went across the river to explore a bit, get a second coffee, at Madal coffee shop.
202611061432 Morning Journaling - Budapest
#journal
Fri Nov 6th 2026 | Budapest
[...]
Okay what's up I went across the river, to Madal Cafe. Caught one girl looking at my shoes then my eyes at the metro platform. Pretty sure she was next to a guy, maybe boyfriend though lol. Then again literally walking onto the metro (other girl). Stood next to this girl. Feels great to get eyes and attention. Just the wish is to be able to follow up and say hi or something. I keep thinking back to [name]. I think I need to be more retarded and just turn my brain off. Become a caveman. See girl (or anyone). Have thought. Say thought. No expectation of anything.
Got off the metro and DAMN it's beautiful here! Took some photos, should've brought my camera.
What else?
[...] The problem is that I have no other middle ground third space to interact in a safer way – sports club, community, social event. And I've come to realize if _I_ don't change or do something about this... nothing happens. I can continue to get eye contact and _feel_ superior, then every night continue to eat alone, get coffee alone, sleep alone. This idea of "oh just let it happen naturally" is great as an _idea_ but I kinda tried that already... not trying... and it produced literally nothing for 5 years.
It's crazy how much I live in my head thinking. At least I've put it to good use coaching other people, LOL.
Also NOW I feel alive and energized. I'm 3/4 through my second double espresso. I'm starting to feel that shadow boxing urge again LOL. Get me a boxing bag bro.
I'm realizing how much of a difference my environment makes on me. Yes I've changed and gotten more confident. I'm much more confident, expressive with the Onem guys. But Budapest is showing me my edge. And this edge is thinner in Bali. I'm just thinking about how I acted and felt at Santanera with the staff before my date with [name]. It just felt so good and positive. I feel like I'm pulled to the average of the mood of people around me. When I try to feel more happy, walk into a coffee shop here with a bit more pep, "good morning, how are you!" it just feels flat, like I'm not rewarded for doing that. I'm rewarded when I do that in Bali.
Just saw a reel from fatbuddha (?) something like that on instant mood changes – lol, relevant. Pattern interrupt sticking your tongue out, dance, move, and the big one of cultivating internally what you want to receive. I like that, haven't thought about that in a while. Reminds me of the manifestation video I made outside Motion.
Just found it and rewatched it. Took me forever because it's taking forever to load. But fuck bro. Such a good video. Applies exactly to me right now. This is crazy the universe giving me exactly what I need to hear.
This idea... what feeling am I desiring? By approaching I want to feel wanted, desired, I want to feel connected, particularly by someone I feel attracted to. I want to feel wanted by someone I also want. That feels pretty close to it.
So now how can I tap into and feel this feeling, as if I already have it RIGHT NOW in this moment? It's interesting when I think about an exchange what I really resonate more with is feeling _congruent,_ to feel proud of myself, not getting in my own way, being able to move through my excuses. And the dominant and immediate image coming to mind is that buzzed joyful feeling I felt on my philosopher walks. It's like, my [...]. I just want to feel more proud of myself, and alive. This feels like an internal thing now, independent of a woman or cold approach almost.
And just rewatched my post-Philosopher walk video 10/7/26, bro... I was smiling and laughing hearing and watching myself recount it ~5min into the video. I feel so much more positive right now. State change.
YESSSS BRO hahahah. Just got up to go to the bathroom. Woman in the line with a fur coat on, eye contact, thought hit, walked by "I like your fur coat" and she smiled and said "ah thank you" then I had the same Philosopher walk reaction walking away "Let's GOOOOO ahahahah." This felt more easy because this other girl had a fur coat and I've ahd in the back of my mind complimenting her since I got here. Easyyyy. Feeling good. Gonna go walk and find some food and say hi to people :)
[continued in my video journals] and [[202611061057 Philosopher walk Budapest]]Here’s the Motion video from last year btw: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPY9CPkD3-Z/
Then right after, continued a note on my walk on my phone:
202611061057 Philosopher walk Budapest
#journal
Madal cafe
- fur coat woman compliment is 1
- asking girls outside if they speak english and what the protest is about is 2
Now walking let's get ittttt
- I'm already at 7 now but I'm getting that like I don't know like awkward, nervous, laughter, feeling in my belly with a big smile on my face
- And I feel like that guy from Instagram who's American who walks around Paris with a really well-dressed. That's like exactly how I feel right now
- it's kind of crazy. It's just like a mindset light switch like I just rewatched some videos of myself. Got some goosebumps remembered some experiences and then just did like one rep now it's a snowball in fact yeah
- I'm also kind of practicing this caveman mindset. The retard maxxing idea of going from thought to action really quickly. I looked down the street. It looks cool and then I just immediately go and I don't overthink or think at all
- coincidence or not? I just looked at my phone and I got a hinge like from this girl [...]. I embody the state of abundance and joyfulness and feeling desired and out of nowhere get a hinge like bro. Nobody likes me on hinge so... Like it's so infrequent
- bro they just come to me now... Saw this girl. Maybe 18 years old or something kind of looked at her smiled. She walked by. She was kind of like looking past me and then I was on my phone standing here and I looked up and she approaches me and goes excuse me and said something I couldn't hear and then I kind of leaned in with a smile on my face. I was like what's up and she's like. Do you know you know where is the toilet? And I was like maybe actually I don't know. And then I looked it up on Google maps and pointed to her in the right direction. So that was fun lol
- Just walked into Ritual for lunch, two girls, "hello! How are you!" Felt good, asked for recommendations, feeling more flowy, confident
Lunch break I think I'm at 38 reps
- rewatching my recount of the philosopher walk reminds me of that idea the other life coach had at Tommy's sleep workshop last year, must've been like September or October or something, this idea of capturing how you feel in the moment in video and then going back and rewatching it when you want to tap into that feeling and experience again so you have a more visceral memory. I basically just did exactly that, but I had to go to the video journal transcript, search for "let's fucking go", find the timestamp, then go to the video and watch that section. I could see this being automated in some way, having a collection of like moments, emotional moments, that are tagged or something I can go back and pull up that whatever 30s clip, 5 min clip, etc. But it might be too vague still to build this out right now. Just an idea I had
Okay we continue walking
Stopped again at brunch Cafe place. I think I'm at 45. Been losing it. Too many people, walking down the fashion street with all the people. Not good opportunities.
- I think this is the way I get over this pressure I keep putting myself. It relates to what [name] asked me when I was asking him about how to do cold approaches well or whatever my questions was, and he asked "are you talking to 2s, 3s, and 4s?" And I said no. His point was that if you talk to everyone, talking to a 9/10 is easy because she's just another person you're talking to. If you only approach 9/10s then you put all this pressure on it going well, on the outcome. This philosopher walk has gone well 3/3 times and changed my mood instantly. It's fun, I feel good. Yesterday I was not in this flow. I was stuck, talked to zero people, so my step up for that girl waiting for the tram was too much, too high. Why don't I master this step, where I say hi to everyone, have little exchanges, compliments with people, restaurant staff, girls on the street and THEN think about doing an approach where I stop to have a little conversation. And all this time keep pushing the edge, but focusing not on "okay I need approach reps" but instead on reps of the correct rung for me, which right now is just getting into social flow, saying hi, and making compliments. That feels right.
- reverse engineering this, it seems like the question is two things, what's the ladder of reps up to the approach? Walking outside, eye contact, smile, say hi, say compliment, compliment plus stop, exchange stopped with conversation, conversation with ask. And then finding where I am on this, what's my edge. Where am I comfortable and what am I not doing it yet easily.
- and then the idea of getting into flow, momentum, inertia, cracking the wall.
Okay okay we continue. I'm now three coffees deep it's 1:37 p.m.
- I'm now realizing I need to buy some clothes in Bali that allows me to feel this way everyday because this is this level of confidence and feeling feels very very good and I just wear like an athletic waking shirts and black regular shorts and Birkenstocks and Bali and I think I need some like one really good linen shirt and linen pants or whatever the vibe is so that I can feel this way
Okay, just made it back to the Airbnb. I think my final count was 48
This walk and day was SO MUCH fun. I had this smile on my face the entire time, laughing and giggling.
It’s super fascinating to think about how much my state changed from just rewatching some past videos, then saying hi to people on the street. I love these walks so much.
Also it’s really interesting writing about this. I feel this slight stomach feeling about sharing this section publicly and not hiding in a locked section. Idk what it is, maybe some shame? I feel like nobody sees this side of me, and I get this feeling like I shouldn’t be struggling with this problem so much… Like “bro it’s just saying hi to people, just talking to strangers it’s not that big of a deal…” The feeling of that reaction… At the same time, I look back and see how much crazy progress I’ve made socially over the last 2 years it’s kinda ridiculous. So many things I haven’t shared as well here that maybe make it seem bigger than reality. I notice I tend to like to blow up and expand on little moments in my life, thoughts that go by, a 30 second moment, interaction, and explain them slower and in more detail play-by-play. But yeah anyways, I just feel like that “bro why you overthinking so much just do it” pressure. But I figured fuck it let’s just post it and not keep it in my locked section. Own it. I know I’ll look back on this in a year, 2 years, 5 years and be able to see how far I’ve come… I don’t know who else out there is reading this and struggling with the same thing. Maybe they’ll feel seen knowing that I’m struggling with the same thing as them.
The Other Side…
Kinda just felt lonely this week in all the things I did (except working and calls). That was kind of the dominant recurring thought this whole week. It was hard to not feel when I wasn’t home, on calls, working on my laptop, journaling in a coffee shop. The rest of my time I spent outside, doing stuff, kind of wanting some social interactions but not really getting many.
The older I get the more I value experiences with other people. This is why I like the Onem trips. I just don’t get that same feeling I used to when I was backpacking solo in Europe. Maybe it’s the pressure I’m putting on myself socially (re: above philosopher walk discussion), but I’ve realized life just is not the same solo versus with other people.
I already live in my head all my life and time I don’t need a “solo trip to learn more about myself” lol 😂 Been doin’ that shit every day for 5 years now 😂😂
Other Thoughts From The Week
202611021244 Valuing peace of mind more while traveling
#journal #mindset #travel
Just took off to Budapest and realized that the last like 5 hours this morning, I've been so low stress.
Got up 7am coffee shop, chilled, second coffee shop, packed, was pretty quick, walked to the metro, was early by 4min, train read through my assistant output, posted 2 reels, got through security, went to the lounge, worked on laptop, walked to the gate, waited in line, got on the flight.
Not a SINGLE moment did I worry... Okay maybe ONE 2-second moment I had slight anxiety looking at the departure board seeing the text in green at the exact time it said boarding was starting, but in Greek and had to wait for it to translate to English
My mind just felt clear
And then you compare that to getting to the airport to fly to Crete, where I left basically at a good time, but the bus came late, so I missed the metro, took the bus, but the bus left late, hit traffic, I started Google Maps'ing to see if I could get off the bus and hop on the same metro, bouncing between YouTube and Google maps, checking the times. I still made it with 30min early, but fuck me the gap between these two experiences is VERY wide. I hate that anxious feeling.
There was a moment here, I got off the metro, paid through the gate, and was walking across the street to the airport terminal. It was like 10am, had 2 hrs until flight left, and just my mind and body felt clear, and I literally thought "low cortisol life" with a neutral faced relaxed smile
Idk if I had any implications for this thought besides the contrast between the two experiences.
## Context
I swear I've wrote about this before or at least talked about it
Onem Crete trip this week, flew to Athens, now just took off to fly to Budapest
Comparing getting to the airport to fly to Crete versus Budapest, same place, Athens
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What’s Next?
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