Just curious what others do when they first escape Helgen.... The more detail the better! GO!

Followed Ralof to riverwood.....

Dropped a shield I accidently picked up and went to Riverwood?

I'm pretty sure I looked around.

Yeah but what did you do? What was your first adventure? What were you trying to accomplish first... It wasn't ment to be taken so literally....

This, but without the dots plus one dot.

I fell off a cliff and died.

After reloading, I went more gingerly up to the rock formation you see just to the left as you leave the cave. Once at the top, I saw a lake and headed that way for a bit. Then found myself in a river with waterfalls that I could ride down (On the way to from Markarth to Solitude) and in one of the waterfalls I was riding, I realised it was maybe a bit too high and the rocks at the bottom were probably a bit sharper than normal water.

On the plus side, I did see a chest at the base of the falls as the death camera spun around me.

Having not saved since my escape, I decided to go 180 degrees from my previous choice and ended up in Riften.

I had studied the map online and had decided I liked the look of this area around Riften. It looked like the town was on a lake. I love water so as soon as my first character got out of Helgen we turned due east and headed for The Rift. I was even more amazed than I thought I would be. I instantly fell in love with the region: the Aspen trees, the autumnal colors, the waterfalls, all of it. The Rift is still my favorite region in any Elder Scrolls game.

I completely ignored anyone trying to make me take sides and went on my own way. Never started the main quest, never leveled up, no dragons, no shouts, no perks.

That was 300+ hours ago ...

Explored and then got killed by a bear.

Thought I was really cool finding a treasure map by accident. Got lost trying to find it and singed by a flame atronach.

I really just did want to look around first. Then I went into a dungeon and killed things. Then I went to Riverwood.

Followed Hadvar to Riverwood, spoke with Alvor. It's like a think I have to do in every playthrough, before I can start doing what I want.

for my Oblivion Tradition, Chose a mountain to just randomly climb.

tried shooting an arrow up into the sky at Alduin.

Went to a bandit camp, explored a mine. Beat a dungeon, got my first ebony weapon and killed a dragon priest(I was lvl 15 by then).

What did I do? Mostly I was trying to keep my jaw from hitting the floor! Such a different set of ideas from TES: IV

First adventure was the Golden Claw one. Bleak Flats was my first dungeon-dive, and I relished the fact that there would several hundred more dungeons to explore in the future, many of them with unique features and hand-placed loot & items.

So did I.

I found a shrine of Talos nearby with some dead worshipers and thalmor, then I made my way into Pine Watch.

Also I met that traveling bard dude who I ALWAYS fine spawned on that road on every new game I make.

Just like me :]

I promised myself I wouldn't be a sheep and follow hadvar to riverwood. I stepped out of the cave, thought 'ooh, pretty' and immediately followed hadvar to riverwood like a good little sheep. Baa

I followed the river to Mixwater Mill then began heading North (Skyrim is cold, so I wanted to see the snowiest places). I stumbled upon the College and they took me in.

My first character ever, an Argonian ran with Hadvar. He hated the Stormcloaks for obvious reasons (note: When I first did this, I had no idea Windhelm was forcing Argonians to stay outside the city), so he ran with the Legion.

Following Alvor's instructions to the letter, he ran to Windhelm and helped some of the Companions slay a giant along the way. He then went into Bleaks Falls Barrow with the Dark Elf companion he hired in 'The Drunken Hunter' shop. The poor lass died and he soldiered on. I suspect she was hitting on him with a comment about how he was much like her. This saddened him, as he would've considered marrying her.

He reclaimed the Golden Claw and the Dragon Tablet and escaped. Then he went to Jarl Baalgruf who told him to slay a dragon. He did so.

His little adventure ended abruptly in a cave of Falmers.

Walked Right. Always go right.
I spoke to a few angry Bandits, slept in their beds, drooled over some Studded Armor and made my way to Whiterun, before i realised i had to go to Riverwood...

I followed the road until I found a mine, I cleared out the mine of bandits and went my merry way to riverwood after that.