You know what’s super easy? Getting complacent. Staying in the same spot and doing the same things because they’re comfortable. Don’t get me wrong – comfort is nice, desirable and downright necessary in some situations; for example a comfortable pair of shoes when you’re going to be on your feet for a while. But comfort becomes a problem when it becomes the reason that you miss out on opportunities; opportunities for new experiences and opportunities for growth.

It took me some hindsight to realize this, but I’ve been pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone since I was a kid. Want to hear a story?  When I was in high school, I was pretty shy, nerdy, a little chubby (what my mom was still calling baby fat), and pretty damn un-athletic. Despite all of these things, I joined my high school’s track team because I wanted to build some athleticism and I wanted to make friends on the team. I was so slow that the coach put me on the mile. We didn’t have any runners in that event anyway, so it wasn’t a big deal if I bit the dust. When it came time for my first indoor track meet, I was so nervous I felt like I was going to throw up. When the shot went off to go, I started giving my best effort at running. But really I was just put-putting around the track — I was super slow. Girls started lapping me on the small indoor track, and eventually I realized that I was only person still “running” the race. At this point the crowd and other teams started shouting words of encouragement at me… “COME ON GIRL!” “YOU CAN DO IT, GIRL!” “KEEP GOING!!!” When I finally did cross the finish line, I was sweaty, exhausted, and embarrassed as hell! But I learned a valuable lesson – it’s ok to shake things up and go through the fire of doing something you never thought you could or would do. You should get out of your comfort zone because for the most part you come out of the other side better, even if it’s just in the form of a lesson learned.

But I’m human, and sometimes lessons learned need to be refreshed. Starting a few years ago, I found myself in a slump. I had gotten out of a long relationship and work was uninspiring. Then the pandemic hit. I decided to shake things up, move from a town that I wanted to escape from, and begin to breathe life back into my existence by stepping out of my complacency. And this will be what I’m going to share with you on this blog. Hold on because there will be some work stories, dating, travel, and just general life decision-making stories of me stepping out of my comfort zone, and the highs and lows that go along with that.