26 students. 5 chaperones. 1 unbreakable bond. All because
we stepped out of our comfort zones.
Back in December I was overwhelmed with excitement when I
found out I had been selected to go on the New Orleans mission trip. I saw the
list and I was surprised because there were many unfamiliar names. Some of the
people on the list I was close friends with, some I knew from classes, some I
knew of, and others I knew nothing about. Not only did I truly not know some of
the people on the list, but I’ll admit I also had some preconceived judgments.
And yet ironically, people who were once strangers to me, I now call some of my
greatest friends. How you might ask? By stepping out of my comfort zone. One
important lesson can be learned from the trip – it is necessary to step out of
your comfort zone in order to fully take advantage of every situation.
We arrived at Camp Restore around 9:00P.M. on February 10.
We were shown to our rooms and received a quick tour of the grounds. Camp
Restore was located in an area greatly devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Originally, Camp Restore had been a Lutheran
elementary school, but it was converted into a place where volunteers from all
over the world could stay for a cheap price, eat three meals a day, and receive
local assignments. After finishing the tour, we all settled into our rooms and
met in the chapel for nightly prayer. During this prayer service, we were all
handed a piece a paper and on this piece of paper we were to write one thing
that was holding us back or something we feared about the trip. When we were
ready to let go of this fear or worry, we walked to the front and burned the
paper with a candle. Personally, I worried about the schoolwork I would be
missing, but more importantly I worried about keeping an open mind. Keeping an
open mind is the first step in leaving your comfort zone. By keeping an open
mind, one is more readily able to do unimaginable things and truly be themself.
I wanted to be open to all the extraordinary people and situations I would soon
encounter. So I walked up to the candle, and I watched my piece of paper be
gobbled up into oblivion. My worries sifted slowly from me and I became more
confident in myself.
After prayer we headed back to the room. The room was packed
with 16 sets of bunk beds, on which were sprawled all sorts of messages from
previous campers. But one message, made by a certain visitor from Canada, stood
out to all of us: life begins at the end of your comfort zone. We all knew how meaningful
the quote was, and we all knew the significant impact it would make on
ourselves and others if we actually lived it. Stepping out of one’s comfort
zone means more than keeping an open mind – it means being one’s true self, it
means not fearing the judgment of others, it means fully experiencing every
situation.
For the rest of the trip, everyone opened up and showed
their true selves, not a single judgment was passed about anyone. Immediately
we felt comfortable dancing in front of each other, singing in front of each
other, sharing embarrassing stories, creating numerous inside jokes, and doing
jobs on the sites that we normally would not have done. For instance, scooping
horse poo was previously not my ideal way to spend a Saturday, but I stepped
out of my comfort zone and with the help of everyone else, we made that day a
blast. Each day new groups were created so everyone had the chance to work with
one another. And each day I made new friends. Though I barely knew some of the
people in my groups, the conversation never ended. We talked about all sorts of
things on the job sites and I got to know everyone a little bit better. On the
final night of prayer, we gathered in the chapel and went around in a circle
saying what we were thankful. Everyone easily recognized how quickly we all
became such great friends and we all attributed that to stepping out of our
comfort zones. At that point, we decided to make the quote “Life begins at the
end of your comfort zone,” the motto of the entire trip. We promised each other
that we would continue to stretch our boundaries and be examples for others to
do so as well.
I am aware of how cliché it all sounds but no one will
understand the significance of stepping out of their comfort zone unless they do
so themselves. Stepping out of our comfort zones allowed us to make the most of
our trip, it created countless more memories, sparked many more smiles, and
formed numerous more friendships. Stepping out of one’s comfort zone allows one
to experience new things, meet new people, and take advantage of absolutely
every situation that comes one’s way. Fear of judgment can restrict one from exceeding
their comfort zone but soon after, worries, doubts, and fears vanish. Bottom
line, stepping out of one’s comfort zone allows one to take advantage of every
situation and to truly live. I did, and I made 26 new friends and had the
experience of a lifetime.
