Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone by Tyler

Life Begins at the End of Your Comfort Zone by Tyler - March 2016 Scholarship Essay

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone”. This quote is everywhere – on magnets, decorative pillows, postcards, Pinterest, and Instagram. I have experienced this phenomenon first hand through my own study abroad experience. Deciding to apply and taking the steps to study abroad during my undergraduate career was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my lifetime thus far. Deciding to go by myself without friends or fellow classmates made it even more exceptional.

When presented with the opportunity in my junior year, naturally I was drawn to it. I was eager to see the world and venture out of the United States to completely immerse myself in another country and culture. However, once I was accepted through my university, my flight was booked, and my housing was secured, the opportunity became a firm reality and one that started to scare me. I began to question if I was capable of flying by myself, something I had never done up until this point let alone across the Atlantic Ocean, to the United Kingdom where I knew no one, to then live and attend a university I had never been to, in a city I was not familiar with. The closer my departure date came the more I realized it was too late to back out. How could I back out of a trip I worked so hard to obtain simply due to fear?

It took me a few days upon my arrival to get comfortable but with each day I started venturing further from my campus housing, staying out a bit later to explore, and meeting more people in the area. At the university I attended, I found there were a few fellow students from the United States but also many studying abroad from other countries within Europe. I stayed in England for five months and fell in love with the cities, the culture, and the diversity. This experience allows college students to become more culturally aware and sensitive to other cultures diverse from our own which I believe is so important for our youth. I was exposed to many different cultures even just within our community at the university along with others throughout my travels and this is an experience I will never take for granted. I had to adjust to new surroundings and become accustom to new norms. While the cultural differences between the United Kingdom and the United States are not vastly different, the pride I had in myself for being able to do so is irreplaceable. I felt this pride and confidence with each trip I took while there on my own, navigating the public transportation and the roadways. I grew more comfortable even with myself while finding out who I was when I wasn’t at home, in my comfort zone.

I think this sort of discovery is so significant for undergraduates to experience. College is a time to find out more about yourself and I believe stepping out of your comfort zone by studying abroad can help assist in that process tremendously. I now find myself in a similar state of apprehension as I am about to begin a master’s program in social work. I question whether I am capable of this line of work while also if it is something I am meant to do. Reflecting back on my study abroad experience I am able to notice the similar state of fear and instead of running from it I can use it – knowing that I am where I am meant to be: at the end of my comfort zone.