There is no better and more rewarding feeling than taking a leap in the dark. It is almost addictive. To untangle from whatever ties have been holding you down, to fear for the unknown but at the same time wanting it badly, and then think “for some reason I need to do this” and go for it, regardless of the consequences.
It can be pure adrenaline kicks such as jumping out of a plane at 4,000 meters when skydiving for the first time and thinking you will probably die but it will be worth it. Or swimming with the fishes nine meters below the surface, doing the “ok” sign to the scuba diving instructor whilst hoping a hungry shark is not waiting right behind you. It can be boarding a plane to Vietnam for a month’s research, and later exploring the foggy and slippery mountain roads on the back of a motorbike with a local guide who calls himself “Pete”. But it can also be moving to another country just because…well, why not? Even falling in love and understanding how impossible it is to control the situation, so the only thing you can do is take a deep breath, let go and hope for the best.
Of course challenges can also be uncomfortable situations, it comes with the territory of testing and exposing yourself. Be it in a new country or environment, or in terms of physical trials, or just doing something you have never done before. There is no better way of getting to know yourself though, and there may be some surprising insights on the way. Perhaps you are in fact much stronger than you thought. Maybe you can handle totally weird situations, find the strength to be flexible and change your plans without anger and resentment, and even put trust in other people to help. In that sense of “anything could happen” is also a feeling of being truly alive, as indeed anything can happen and it may change the course of your life. Scary stuff.
Some people find it less frightening to let go, some are naturally inquisitive spirits who cannot help themselves, and it also gets easier with each time you have survived outside the comfort zone. Being a moose-hunter’s daughter and brought up with bears, deer and other wild animals on the doorstep, I do have some of the hunter’s curiosity in my blood. The earliest memory is as a four-year-old taking the stroller with the dolls into the woods for a winter adventure with a friend, off the beaten track and over rocks and fallen trees, whilst our anxious parents were searching for hours and finally discovered the tracks of the young explorers in the snow behind the house.
With this early desire to discover, I was lucky to have understanding parents who encouraged me to find out for myself. When expressing to them the urge to go travelling or moving abroad, in a calm and collected manner they always said “sure go ahead, send us a postcard”. They still do, and so do my closest friends. When complaining to one of them recently about feeling stuck in a certain location, in a similar fashion she said “go on, go explore elsewhere”. Over the years, I find myself spending more time with people who also wish to push themselves further and we spur each other on to explore the unknown. I am already starting to wonder, what adventure comes next?
