Would You Survive a Week Without Music?

March Newsletter

From Ancient Ruins to Daily Videos – March Was a Wild One!

Alright, let’s pick up where we left off. Last time, I was in an airport, racing against the clock, using my phone hotspot to post February’s newsletter before my flight boarded. My family was already in line, and I barely had time to hit “publish” before sprinting to catch up. The grind never stops.

Pompeii – A City Frozen in Time

We kicked off the month by visiting Pompeii, and wow… this place is just unreal. It’s crazy to think that this entire city was buried under ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted, and yet, here it is—still standing, still preserved. It felt like stepping into a time capsule. The streets, the homes, even the people—everything just stopped in an instant, and you can still see the remnants of what life was like back then. One of the most unique places I’ve ever seen, hands down.

The Colosseum – Straight Out of a Movie

Speaking of crazy history, we went to the Colosseum, and it was just as legendary as you’d imagine. Seeing this massive arena in person—where gladiators literally fought for their lives—was surreal. It’s one of those places you’ve seen in a million movies, but being there in real life? Totally different experience. You can almost hear the echoes of the crowds from thousands of years ago.

The Vatican Museum – And Maybe a Few Sneaky Photos

We also visited The Vatican Museum, which is basically a massive collection of some of the most famous art in the world. The highlight? Michelangelo’s "The Creation of Adam" in the Sistine Chapel. And apparently, you’re not supposed to take photos of it… but I didn’t see any signs at first, so let’s just say I got plenty of pictures before realizing. Oops.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa – A Construction Fail Turned Icon

So here’s the thing about the Leaning Tower of Pisa—they knew it was sinking while they were building it… and just kept going anyway. They were basically like, “Well, we’ve come this far. Might as well finish.” And now, instead of being an engineering disaster, it’s one of the most famous landmarks in the world. Gotta respect the dedication.

The Detox Challenge – No Social Media, No Music

After Pisa, I stayed up until 3 AM to hop on a call with my brother Zane (who’s serving a mission in Brazil). We caught up, talked about life, and then he hit me with a challenge: No social media or music for a week.

I thought it would be easy. No videos? No problem. But no music? That was rough. I always listen to music when I pack my bag, when I focus, when I do… pretty much anything. But here’s what I learned:

1. I waste a lot of time entertaining myself before actually doing what I need to do. This challenge stopped that.

2. I felt way more focused. Without distractions, I got more done in less time.

3. Sometimes, it’s nice to just have silence. It was weird at first, but I realized that always having noise isn’t necessary.

I sent daily screenshots to Zane to keep myself accountable, and while I still posted my daily videos, I made sure not to scroll or watch anything else. Honestly, it was a cool reset.

Visiting the Smallest (and Third Smallest) Countries in the World

While in Rome, we technically visited another country—Vatican City. Yep, it’s an actual country. It’s basically just one massive church, but still, it counts. I took a panoramic photo and literally captured the entire country in one shot.

Then we went to San Marino, which is the third smallest country in the world (also inside Italy). Unlike Vatican City, this place actually has people living there, shops, stores, and a whole town vibe. It felt like a hidden gem. Definitely liked it.

Venice – A City Built on Water

Venice was another one-of-a-kind city. It’s basically the opposite of Pompeii—instead of being preserved in ash, it’s slowly sinking into the sea. But for now, it’s still standing, and it was incredible to explore. The canals are literally their roads, and instead of cars, they have boats. Surprisingly, it didn’t smell bad at all (which I kind of expected). Also learned that Venice is built on petrified wood, which somehow keeps everything from collapsing. Wild.

We wrapped up our Italy trip on a banger (and I know bangers).

Off to Albania!

After Venice, we hopped over to Albania, a country that was under communism until the 1990s. And wow—this place is awesome.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Italian food is amazing, but there’s hardly any meat. After a month of pasta and pizza, I was starving for protein. Albania delivered. They have tons of grilled chicken, and let’s just say… I made up for lost time. 💪

Right now, we’re in Sarandë, a coastal town in Albania, and we’ve been here for about a week and a half. It’s been nice to slow down a bit and focus on some projects.

Daily Videos – The Challenge I Actually Completed

I set a goal to post a video every single day on the Shaw Journeys Instagram and YouTube accounts. And I did it! 🎉

Not only did I hit my goal, but I also noticed huge improvements:

• I got way better at talking on camera. At first, I’d stumble over my words, but after just a few videos, I was way more confident.

• I got faster at editing. Making a video every day forces you to speed up.

• The quality keeps improving. If you look back at my first video compared to now, the difference is crazy.

Don’t worry, the grind isn’t stopping anytime soon.

So What’s Next?

I’m going to keep experimenting, keep pushing, and keep learning. I’ve been working on some AI apps, but they’ve been giving me a ton of problems, which is why you haven’t heard much about them yet. But once I get them working? That’s just the beginning.

I usually finish a project and move on. But this time, I want to take something to the next level. I don’t just want to make something cool—I want to make something big.

We’ll see where that goes.

That’s a Wrap!

Thanks for sticking around and reading another newsletter. Hope you guys enjoyed it! Can’t wait to share even more crazy adventures next time.

Catch you in the next one.

— Michael
michaeljamesshaw.com