I moved across the world & this is what happened.
WHY I CHOSE TO MAKE THE MOVE.
Experiences that shape and define many of us often go hand in hand with travel. I'm going to rewind to 2016 because this is when I recognize having one of these defining experiences. For me it was a trip to Europe with girlfriends that inspired me to apply for an international placement through my accounting firm. Initially I wanted to go to the UK for this, but little did I know that my short-term placement in New Zealand would forever change my life and turn into something more permanent, a new home, and a place where I would launch a new career as a travel advisor.
GOODBYE COMFORT ZONE.
Moving across the world was certainly out of my comfort zone, but it felt like more of a risk NOT to go. Then when I got there, I realized it wasn't that scary at all - it was actually SO much better than I had imagined. As I began saying yes to any and every invitation (because I knew no one!), I found that getting out of my comfort zone became easier the more I did it. It was like working a muscle. It started with small things like eating by myself in restaurants and driving on the wrong side of the road to big things like eventually staying in New Zealand longer than my original placement. It was challenging and addictive to say yes to things. My brain was exploding with new information and experiences, and I couldn't get enough!
HELLO PERSONAL GROWTH.
It’s been shown that travel stretches us and makes us smarter. This Forbes article informs us that it throws our old conception of reality out the window and replaces it with an updated, more complex one, and it’s precisely this confusion, combined with our brain’s response, that pushes us to shift and grow in unique ways.
With that said, here's a challenge to myself and to everyone else to not get too comfortable or complacent because you never know what you just might miss out on. Try the new exercise class, take on the new project at work, or dare I say it, take that trip! Whatever you do, just say yes!