Get out of your comfort zone.
I am a routine guy. I like the comfort of knowing what to expect, knowing where to go, feeling comfortable in my environment. I like going back to places that I have been before. I feel like certain places become “ours” after repeated visits. I feel like an insider. Even at home, we have routines that I love. Dinner on Friday night in the summer on the back patio at the House of Wines. Coffee and the newspaper on the back porch on Saturday morning. These things give me comfort.
Our annual family beach trip to the Outer Banks is something I love. We know where we love to eat and the things we like to do. There is a special bond to that area for me and for our family.
However, it is just as important to get out of your comfort zone sometimes. To experience new places, new cultures, new ways of living. My tendency is to always go back to where I have been before, but experiencing new things and new places have opened my eyes to so many things. In particular, experiencing these new places with people you love is powerful.
As we get older, we need to make sure our bubble doesn’t start getting too small.
We recently visited San Miguel de Allende with two other couples. We had been to Mexico a couple times before, both times to all-inclusive resorts in Cancun. San Miguel is in the heart of Mexico and the architecture and culture is incredible. Learning to communicate with the locals was a little challenging and doing conversions in my head from pesos to dollars did make me question if I had a grasp of simple math skills. However, seeing different ways of living and appreciating the beauty of other traditions and customs makes us grow as people. The people of San Miguel are friendly, accommodating, and proud of their home.
San Miguel de Allende
Voted one of the top 50 Most Beautiful Cities in the World.
I have always been impressed with our daughter Chelsey. She is a zookeeper by trade and a fearless world traveler who embraces new places and appreciates that there is so many things to learn and experience if you are brave enough to put yourself in new environments and try new things. She has journeyed to South Africa, spent two months in China, and worked in Texas, Louisiana, and now Arkansas. I have always been proud and envious of her courage and curiosity. She has been up close with Great White sharks, passed right by African elephants, and cared for Chinese pandas in her short quarter-century on this earth. Who knows where the next 25 years will take her?
Chelsey (on the right) in South Africa getting ready to see Great White sharks.
Even though sometimes it takes a push to get out of my comfort zone, I am always grateful that I did. I learn about new places, people, cultures, and I ultimately learn something about myself. Never stop learning. Keep your “bubble” as big as possible.