Same! one of my best memories of XI lol.. I died about 4 times and got everyone who helped me killed.. so much fun though. Kinda sad now though :/ he's easily solo'd these days.
My favorite memory was when I first started: I was a level 12 WHM who started in Windurst. I had to ride the boat from Mhaura to Selbina. That boat ride had a pirate attack, so I cooped myself up into the captain's cabin area because the skeles checked IT++. I saw a level 53 DRG killing the skeletons and I was like, "Dude! That guy's killing ITs like nothing!" and I was praising them left and right in tell xD good times...
mine was being a whm8 after finally soloing to 8 deciding I want to explore the entire world lol "well Im lvl 8 now, like half done"
So I walked from sandoria to bastok and felt like such a badass, when in fact someone fighting the sand bats in dunes is the only reason I made it that far lol
and then on the way back I saw lizards in konchstat and got cocky trying to kill a "tough" mob, not knowing they linked since I never fought lizards before. so I homepointed feeling like I walked across the entire planet or some ***lol