#FirstDayOfSchool

So the big day is here.  It’s the pilot of the AGT Voluntary Employee Exchange Program, and I’m off to live and work in the Netherlands for two months.  I can’t believe it.  Sure, I traveled a lot when I was younger, but I never imagined I’d have such an amazing opportunity as an adult.

Speaking of my younger years, in many respects, heading to the Netherlands reminds me a lot like heading off to my first day of elementary school.

          Will the other kids like me?  (Hopefully)

          Will I get lost?  (Probably)

          Will I make a fool of myself?  (Occasionally)

          Will I survive?  (Most likely)

I am so excited for this opportunity.  It’s going to be awesome.  But I have a confession.  I’m also a bit scared.  I’m not talking 100% paralyzed by fear, but maybe 3.14% scared.  (For those of you out there who are math nerds like me, I call that “pi percent”).  So yeah, I admit it.  I’m a little scared, and I think that’s pretty cool.

Fear is an interesting construct.  Fear keeps us safe.  It’s that little voice which tells us to not run into traffic, to not fist fight a grizzly bear, and to not open the door for ax-wielding crazy people.  (Note to self: stop watching scary movies).  But while fear keeps us safe, it can also keep us from trying new things, going new places, and meeting new people.

Eleanor Roosevelt said you should do one thing every day which scares you.  This is not surprising advice from a woman who helped draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize, and flew a plane with Amelia Earhart.  I personally don’t know that you have to scare yourself on a daily basis, but occasionally, I do think we need to push ourselves.  It’s when we push ourselves that we find out just how far we can go.  It helps us change and grow.

I guess that’s why I keep signing up to run marathons, why I love camping in the middle of nowhere, and it’s probably why I’m getting on a plane right now.  All these things help me learn more about who I am and what I’m capable of achieving.  What all will I learn in the next two months?  I’m not entirely sure, but I’m excited to find out, and I’m excited to have you along for the ride.  Let’s try new things.  Let’s push ourselves.  Let’s live a little scared.

What’s something that you’ve done that scared you?  How did it change you?