Travelling to Australia had been a dream of mine for as long as I could remember.
Ever since I was a child I was fascinated with the country. Kangaroos, koalas and the Outback, it was my idea of paradise!
In my final year of university, I decided I'd go and live there for a year once my studies were over. There was just one problem:
I was terrified to go alone.
I went back and forth about whether I should go or not. My answer changing one day to the next. In the end, I took the safe option and got a job.
Yes, I was earning money, but it wasn't what I wanted to do. I was going through the motions. I had begun to exist rather than live.
When a car smashed into my bike cycling home from work, I knew I had to go to Australia. What's the point in living if you don't feel alive?
Four months after the incident I found myself on a plane waiting for it to land on the Gold Coast. After a full day on a plane, I was close to fulfilling my dream.
Had I not had the courage to break free from my comfort zone, I might have remained stuck inside it forever. Going through the motions and barely living.
When you step outside of your comfort zone, you grow. You grasp opportunities, realise your potential and become the person you know you can be.
Whenever I find myself slipping back into my comfort zone, I remind myself of the following quote. It helps me to remember why I booked that flight to Australia.
"A ship in a harbour is safe, but that's not what a ship was built for."
"A ship in a harbour is safe, but that's not what a ship was built for." I really like this quote you used. It is so true as when you stay somewhere for a long period of time, it could be anywhere and you do not leave your comfort zone, ie: it could be the place you have lived your whole life... To leave and to travel somewhere different, to explore other cultures, other countries is so good for yourself and for your brain. It can make you worldly and most important, it gives you a sense of adventure, & an experience that you will never forget. I am glad you went to Australia, you took the plunge and went there by yourself which can be seen as quite admirable as not many people would do that.