I wandered into the woods for three days and two nights with seven people that were previously strangers just a few hours before we left.
Not going to lie, my expectations of what a “backpacking/camping” trip would look like were completely off the mark. Just about every bit of comfort or luxury was left behind. Things were dirty, holes were dug, and I wanted nothing more than something fluffy to sleep on.
It’s funny, being home from the World Race for 9 months, I still think about the Race and all that I went through, the “hard” circumstances I endured. Yet, somehow I never realized how much of a comfort zone I had created around myself with living back in the United States.
It was shocking to me, leaving for this trip and having to leave everything behind. Not so surprisingly, I packed too much trying to bring my comfort zone with me. As I struggled through the first mile of the trip (and ultimately ended up needing to switch packs with a teammate), I realized this moment had a little more significance to it than simply trying to make it to our camp sight for the evening.
Leaving your comfort zone, well…it’s incredibly uncomfortable. So often we walk into unknown territory trying to plan ahead, see what might be waiting for us, and bringing things along with us we don’t need.
Yet how freeing it is when we embrace the adventure and are willing to risk being without. Leaving our comforts behind, it liberates us to do more than we think we could.
Without that giant pack on my back, I trekked 7 miles of backwood’s trails in just one afternoon! That’s a pretty big accomplishment for me.
So what are you holding onto that you need to leave behind? There’s reward in the risk you take as you leave your comfort zone behind. I encourage to take that step for yourself.
