My most memorable moment in flying occurred at one of my first initial training lessons: While flying from airport A to airport B, we crossed an industrial plant, and out of one of its chimneys, there was leaking out a huge smother, lying exactly on our route (calm wind conditions).
As beeing a complete newbie, I took the worst decision and kept flying the planned route, although being fully aware of the vapor.
Immediately, we went full IMC, my FI took controls without moving them, and a few seconds later, we returned to clear sunshine, not being harmed.
IMC to the max, and since then, I strictly keep myself flying VMC (as long, as I don't have the IFR and a properly equipped machine), no matter what the planned route is telling me.
Thracian