Here on the podcast we’ve several episodes with guests who have told the story of being attacked by an animal.

These include a grizzly bear, a monkey, a shark, a rattlesnake, a tiger, a pair of dogs, an alligator, and a swarm of yellow jackets. But we haven’t yet had a story about a hippo attack.

Until today.

My guest today is Honor. She was traveling throughout Africa and she learned about the list of animals in Africa that cause the most fatalities. Hippos are number TWO on that list, and number one may surprise you. She told me what it was in our conversation.

Hippos look like they would just want to roll over and scratch their belly. But don’t be fooled. They are extremely territorial, and can get very angry. And, as Honor saw first-hand, they are also quite fast.

If you’d like to contact Honor, she’s in the Facebook group -

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/245

Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.

Try What Was That Like PLUS free:

iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”

Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

Sponsor deals:

Visit AuraFrames.com and use promo code WHATWAS at checkout to get $45 off.

If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod

Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.

Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every other Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners.

The question for this episode:

What are you starting to hate as you get older?

Links for this episode:

Planes, Trains and Automobiles airplane scene -

https://youtu.be/Kw-f9B7FAdQ?si=3V9qMhG1KqQ4cDPj

Children International -
https://children.org

Meredith’s OtO sprinkler system -

https://www.amazon.com/OTO-Lawn-Smart-Sprinkler-Solar-Powered/dp/B0C78GV866/ref=sr_1_6

Scott’s carry-on suitcase -

https://www.briggs-riley.com/products/global-carry-on-spinner

Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious Introvert:

https://MeredithForReal.com

To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.

Sponsor deals:

Visit AuraFrames.com and use promo code WHATWAS at checkout to get $45 off.

If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod

Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.

Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes, there comes a moment in your life when everything changes.

You might have a little warning ahead of time, or it might come as a complete surprise. It might be a surprise that makes your whole life better, or it could be news that’s devastating. We never know – that’s just how life works.

Justin had a moment like that. He was adopted the day after he was born, so he never knew his birth mother. He had a wonderful childhood, and he loves his family, but he always wondered about the woman who actually gave birth to him.

Then, that moment came – they found each other.

Justin told this story on the podcast more than 7 years ago. And one of the things that I love about this episode is a surprise I had for him during our conversation. You’ll hear it right after the second ad break. I hope you love this story as much as I do.

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/244

Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.

Try What Was That Like PLUS free:

iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”

Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

Sponsor deals:

Visit AuraFrames.com and use promo code WHATWAS at checkout to get $45 off.

If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod

Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.

Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I wonder if this ever happens to you.

Maybe you’re visiting someone and you’re staying overnight. Or you’re on a trip and you’re staying in a hotel or an Airbnb. And that first time you wake up, you have a brief few seconds where you’re a little disoriented. Like, “Hey, where am I? This is not my bedroom. This is not my bed”. But then it comes back to you – oh yeah, I’m away from home right now.

I would think it would be even worse if you woke up and realized you’re in a hospital bed.

For the podcast, I typically don’t do stories that are mainly centered around the guest being in a coma. It’s an interesting concept for sure, but just the fact that someone was in a coma would make for a difficult episode. I mean, how can you tell a detailed story when you were asleep for most of it?

Today we’re going to hear from Scott. He was in a coma for a while. And then he had that experience of trying to figure out “why am I in a hospital...what is going on”. But his story is not really about him being in a coma.

It’s about what the doctor told him when he woke up.

To get Scott’s book, Play From Your Heart:

https://librarytalespublishing.com/products/play-from-your-heart

If you’d like to contact Scott by email:
[email protected]

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/243

Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.

Try What Was That Like PLUS free:

iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”

Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

Sponsor deals:

Visit AuraFrames.com and use promo code WHATWAS at checkout to get $45 off.

If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod

Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.

Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every other Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners.

The question for this episode:

What’s the craziest thing you have put your body through?

Links for this episode:

Bruce the cow causing disruption:

https://youtube.com/shorts/WNM0cV7bViM?si=cKREAXmSXdeqHxaX

Krav Maga – Israeli hand to hand combat fighting:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_Maga

Guided tours from a local person -
https://getyourguide.com

Meredith’s site for finding alternatives –
https://dupe.com ok

Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious Introvert:

https://MeredithForReal.com

To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.

Sponsor deals:

Visit AuraFrames.com and use promo code WHATWAS at checkout to get $45 off.

If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod

Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.

Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom and Eileen trusted others for their safety, but that trust was misplaced.

Sponsor deals:

Visit AuraFrames.com and use promo code WHATWAS at checkout to get $45 off.

If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod

Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.

Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever had a feeling of impending doom? Like you just knew something bad was about to happen?

Quite a few years ago, I was in New York City. I went with a friend to a late comedy show, and when it was over we got on the subway to get back to the hotel. This was pretty late, like 2 am or maybe even later. We were on the train, waiting for the doors to close. Personally, I was feeling fine. But my friend, Teri, was more aware of our surroundings. There were a few other people on the train and she did not feel comfortable at all. She said that we needed to get off the train before the doors closed. So we did.

I didn’t get it at the time. But Teri just had this bad feeling that something was about to happen and it was not going to turn out well for us. But whatever it was, we took a taxi instead and got back safely.

My guest today is Jessica. She is an avid rock climber out in the Pacific Northwest. She was involved in setting up a climbing event for hundreds of people, and she just kept having this feeling that something was very wrong. And she was right.

Full show notes and pictures for this episode are here:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/242

Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.

Try What Was That Like PLUS free:

iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”

Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

Sponsor deals:

Visit AuraFrames.com and use promo code WHATWAS at checkout to get $45 off.

If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod

Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.

Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every other Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners.

The question for this episode:

What caused you to end a friendship?

Links for this episode:

Details for the WWTL in-person meetup in Orlando are in the Facebook group:

https://WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook

Spotify playlist from Meredith’s show with episodes relating to making friends as an adult

 https://spotify.link/DCSqPVVuVXb

Meredith’s episode about friendship and sobriety https://spotify.link/ZRv4LqZuVXb

How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships

 https://a.co/d/ebN53MV

Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious Introvert:

https://MeredithForReal.com

To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.

Sponsor deals:

Visit AuraFrames.com and use promo code WHATWAS at checkout to get $45 off.

If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod

Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.

Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not everyone likes surprises.

Personally, I love being surprised – as long as it’s a GOOD surprise. And even more than that, I love surprising people and just seeing their reaction.

About 3-4 years ago, I got what I think is the biggest surprise of my life. At that time, my dad had been gone for about 6 or 7 years. And one night my mom invited all the family over for a game night at her place. This happens all the time, so nothing unusual. But while we were all there, she made an announcement that, at age 80, she was going to get married again. I never saw it coming. But it has worked out great. Jim and my dad were actually best friends for most of their lives. Jim’s wife had passed away a few years earlier, so… it really all made sense. And it made for a crazy and wonderful surprise for all of us.

Today you’ll hear about a surprise that Victoria got one day, from a former neighbor. It was about her dad, and it was not a good surprise.

Victoria told this story on the podcast about 4 years ago, and after our conversation you’ll hear an update on what has happened with her family – and her dad – since then.

This episode contains discussion of child sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.

Graphics for this episode by Bob Bretz. Transcription was done by James Lai.

Want to discuss this episode and other things with thousands of other WWTL listeners? Join our podcast Facebook group at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook (many of the podcast guests are there as well)

Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.

Try What Was That Like PLUS free:

iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”

Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

Sponsor deals:

Visit AuraFrames.com and use promo code WHATWAS at checkout to get $45 off.

If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod

Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.

Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well here we are at the end of 2025. It’s been a crazy year in a lot of different ways.

And it’s a tradition here for the What Was That Like podcast for the last episode of the year to be a collection of all of this year’s Listener Stories.

For every main episode of the podcast, we end it with a story sent in by a listener. It can be something happy, sad, funny – just about anything – as long as it’s something interesting that happened to you. We limit these to around 5-10 minutes, and all you have to do is record it on your phone and email it to me at [email protected]

So what we have here in this final episode of 2025 is over 3 hours of those listener stories from this past year. Keep in mind that some of these stories deal with sensitive topics such as suicide or other things that could be triggering for some listeners. Feel free to fast forward to the next story if you need to.

And now, here are the Listener Stories of 2025.

Get every episode ad-free, AND get all the Raw Audio exclusive episodes to binge, by joining the other listeners at What Was That Like PLUS.

Try What Was That Like PLUS free:

iPhone: at the top of the What Was That Like podcast feed, click on “Try free”

Android: on your phone, go to WhatWasThatLike.com/PLUS and click to try it free on any app

Sponsor deals:

If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod

Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.

Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every other Tuesday, we grab a past question from the Facebook group, then Meredith and Scott answer it and read some of the answers given by other listeners.

The question for this episode:

What's the most NSFW thing you've witnessed in public?

Links for this episode:

Mirrors for sale subreddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mirrorsforsale/

the Charcuterie board with the lid https://a.co/d/17amSKV

Meredith’s podcast is Meredith For Real – the Curious Introvert:

https://MeredithForReal.com

To check out the new Tuesday Question and get in the discussion, join us at WhatWasThatLike.com/facebook.

Sponsor deals:

Visit AuraFrames.com and use promo code WHATWAS at checkout to get $45 off.

If you’re 21 or older, get 25% OFF your first order + free shipping @IndaCloud with code [WHATWAS] at https://inda.shop/[WHATWAS]! #indacloudpod

Go to ThriveMarket.com/WHATWAS to get 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift just for signing up.

Go to Quince.com/whatwas for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns!

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code [WHATWAS] at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Try Mint Mobile for 3 months, for just 15 bucks a month - MintMobile.com/WHAT

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices