A Summer of Firsts
One of my biggest faults is that I’m not very good at trying new things. Once I find something that I like, it sticks. For example, when I went to the Olive Garden for the first time, I really enjoyed the brazed beef tortellini dish. The probability that I would try something new the next time was slim to none. In fact, when I went to the Olive Garden last week I barely looked at the menu, knowing before I even got there what I was going to order. When this summer began, I wanted to do something to change that. So, I decided that I would push myself out of my comfort zone and be open to new things and experiences. Thus far, I have been successful.
Since moving to New Jersey, I’ve tried different kinds of food: seafood and Cuban, neither of which I normally would eat. I felt a baby kick right before it was born, saw its birth and watched old movies and musicals with my auntie. My internship plays a big part of this list, especially since I moved to a different state to do so. I’m a very family-oriented person and living so far from my immediate family and friends is tough for such an extended period of time.
Another way to look at new experiences is that you gain newly gathered knowledge and can form a more fleshed out opinion. As a result, you can add real, personal comments into conversations, instead of just simply saying what you instinctively think or feel about the thing. When someone mentions seafood to me, my automatic reaction is to make a gagging sound; in fact, my reflex seems to have been trained to do so. After trying salmon and tilapia, I still am not a fan, but at least I no longer have an uninformed opinion.
The moments where you find yourself doing something that scares you or that takes you out of your “box,” are going to be the ones that make you happy and sometimes speechless. You’ll remember it for the rest of your life. It’s like when all of your dreams finally come true; the journey to the stars may be bumpy, but once you’re among them, you regret nothing and love everything about yourself and your life.
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” –Mae West
Comments
Marian Ponchak June 15, 2012 at 05:32 PM
I really enjoyed Jennifer Ballash’s incite about herself in her blogs. Keep up the good work. Love you.
Whitney July 19, 2012 at 04:12 PM
Thanks for the insight, Jen. It’s just what I needed :)