Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone

This quote appeared here as one of my favorite quotes.  I love it so much because I find it to be so true!  Some of my best and favorite experiences involved getting out of my comfort zone!  So, over the course of two or three post I want to share some of my favorite experiences which involved me getting out of my comfort zone!  This post will feature adventurous things and the next post (or two) will feature things that just made me uncomfortable but were totally worthwhile!

Before I get into this post about some adventurous things that I've done I think I need to explain my weird relationship with heights.  I wouldn't say I'm afraid of heights, but I also wouldn't say that I'm not.  I'm OK in things like tall buildings and planes but I get scared when I don't feel that security.  That is the fear that I've worked hardest on and I feel like I've come as close as I will to overcoming it - heights still make me uncomfortable but it doesn't stop me from doing things I think would be amazing :)

Parasailing in OCMD

I had been wanting to go parasailing for a long time, I thought it looks like so much fun!  The opportunity presented itself in 2007 during my Senior Week trip to Ocean City, Maryland.  I was all about it and my friend Kristin decided to join me.   We made reservations before we got there for the highest you can go (80ft) and were so excited to get out on the water!  Though it wasn't as thrilling as I thought it would be, it was definitely an amazing experience!  It was so neat to see Ocean City from above and come down to have our toes dipped in the water!  It was also a relaxing experience - you truly feel like you're moving super slow!

Repelling in Italy

In Assisi, Italy we spent the day with an amazing group of New Zealanders with a company called Full On.  One of the most amazing experiences of that trip was being able to repel down a 100ft castle wall that was not open to the public!  Only Full On used it and they only worked with P2P.  Three people went at a time and I volunteered to go in the first group of three.  I was completely freaked out when they made us hang over the wall for a picture before beginning to repel!  Once I was at the bottom I was so proud of myself for volunteering to go first and for making it down without panicking!  It was one of the coolest experiences of my life! 

Zip-lining in Costa Rica
This was the single most amazing thing EVER!  While in Costa Rica we spend most of the time working, but we had one free day to do something fun and were given a few choices.  Everyone thought zip-lining would be the best and it most definitely was!   The entire trip through the canopies was about an hour and a half.  Also, at the halfway point there was a larger platform where we stopped for drinks and a rest and it had amazing views (pictured below).  It was a little scary at first but it ended up being one of the best experiences of my life!  and we saw so much wildlife!

Jumping Off A Rock Quarry in VA

Look up East Jesus in the dictionary and Louisa County Virginia will be pictured right there.  My ex lives there and several times over the summer we'd illegally off road up to this quarry in the middle of nowhere.  There was an area where you could jump into the water and climb the rocks back up.  The drop was probably about 30 feet.  It took two visits before I finally jumped but I'm so glad I did!  It was super fun and the water felt so good!  No matter how hard we tried, no one ever touched to bottom and we have no clue how deep it really is.   The picture below is his friend diving in - I was never that brave!

Extreme Sky Flyer at Kings Dominion

I have been going to Kings Dominion since I was in middle school; it's one of my absolute favorite amusement parks! Every time I went I really wanted to go on the Extreme Sky Flyer but it cost $40 per person or something and I never had the extra money.  So, before Josh and I went with our friends in 2011, I made sure that we had the extra money to do it.  It was one of the most terrifying and awesome 5 minutes of my life!

The Time I Jumped Off a Bridge
This was the most random thing ever.  Me, my best friend Alex and one of my coworkers at the time, Sasha decided to go swimming in Broad Creek by Sasha's house.  We found a place to swim near this bridge and set up our stuff.  Then we see these guys up on the bridge and watch them jump into the water.  Of course, me and Alex had to go talk to them.  They told us what to do and one jumped on either side of us the first time.  We had so much fun, we decided to do it again!  I think the drop was around 25-30 feet.  What started out as hitting on some guys turned into one of the most fun days I had all summer - especially since Alex moved away at the end of that summer :(

White Water Rafting in PA

 I was  in like 6th grade or something when we did this and have no pictures and my memories are scarce but I do remember having a good time and being scared shitless at the same time!  Though I enjoyed it at the time, I don't think I'd ever do it again.  I am glad that I gave it a try though and I do have a few fun stories from that day. 

Rock (Wall) Climbing
For some reason this was super scary to me.  I am so glad I did it though!  I had a blast the day that I learned and I lucked out in going to a University that had a rock wall in their gym!  I definitely took advantage of that!

 
That Time I Rode a Bike For 30 Miles
I guess that's just what you do in Maine.  This bike ride was very hard at times and there were definitely some interesting things that happened which I will talk more about when I do a post on Maine.  It was very difficult but super rewarding at the end!  Oh, and that picture below was taken a little more than halfway during our lunch break - we don't normally look like we wish we were dead.

 
Upcoming Adventures
This upcoming November, Josh and I are planning to do a canopy tour while in Honduras (I believe)!  I am so excited to do it again and for Josh to experience it.   Our other excursions include swimming with dolphins and "scuba diving".  We also plan to skydive this upcoming year.  We have been talking about it for a while but it was never the right time, but I think after the wedding would be the perfect time!