Leaving the comfort zone
Expand your little box, and you’ll find what you need
A few months ago I was going through a very rough moment of my life. Fortunately, it also resulted in a time that I learned a lot about me and life. Although things were starting to look better with time, I felt that I still needed guidance to find myself again.
Leaving my usual places is the way I found to view things on a different light. I tend to deal with my hardships better when I’m outside my shell, unable to hide beneath work and other hobbies. So I decided to travel.
There were a few approaches that I could take: travel and forget about my issues, or travel and fight them head on. I chose the later, leaving my comfort zone and facing some of my biggest fears was a necessary step in my life.
The destinations:
Given that my idea was to have new experiences and see life through different lens, the places I was visiting were a very important part of it.
São Paulo, Brazil:
First, I decided that I finally had to go through an Ayahuasca cerimony. Ayahuasca, for those who are not used to the term, is a shamanic tea that was drank originally by peruvian indians, and used in xamanic rituals.
I had heard a few stories about people’s experiences, and how the tea made you look into yourself and have a better understanding of life. I always felt afraid about what the herb was going to show me, but it was time for me to face my fears and learn from them.
One of my closest friends was also interested in the ritual, so I called him to come with me. The place we chose to go was the same as a few friends we knew from São Paulo went occasionally. They joined us through most of the trip, so I was even happier.
Ilha Grande, Brazil
The second place was an island in Brazil called Ilha Grande. It is like a paradise, a beautiful place full of beaches and hiking trails. It could be just like any other trip, but I decided to go alone this time.
Also, to spice things up, I decided that I had to stay at a hostel. They were cheaper, and it would force me to meet more people. Staying at a shared room with strangers was like a nightmare to me for years.
For those who don’t know me, I’m very shy. Talking to new people is a very hard challenge, but staying on my own is usually so damn easy. Since the rule was to leave my comfort zone, I decided that as soon as I had my internal crap figured out, I’d talk to new people (which happened faster than I thought).
The change
I consider taking these trips one of the best decisions I ever took in my life. I grew a lot more than I thought I would, and I met some amazing people that I won’t ever forget.
I’m also sure that I’m never going to be the same again. I don’t even want to go back to who I used to be, actually. I discovered that life can be lived in many different ways, and my little box has expanded a lot.
I remember about the courage that I had to gather when I took the bus and then the ferry alone to Ilha Grande. I kindly rejoice about the lessons that Ayahuasca brought to my life.
One of the greatest lessons, though, was that in the end you don’t leave your comfort zone forever. You just expand it. Do new things, face your fears, and you’ll realize you are stronger than you thought!
This is the first part of out of three from my experiences travelling this year. I’ll be publishing the last piece very soon, so watch out! I’m sorry for my grammar, English is not my first language, so if you notice any mistakes, please feel free to let me know.
Part 2 is already out! You can find it here
