I originally posted this on my (then) blog A Free-Spirited Woman in 2014. Since then I’ve made a number of nomad friends that are always floating around somewhere out there on the road. I take great solace in knowing that I have friends that are part of my tribe, and I know that many of them would come to my aid should anything bad happen, and are always available for companionship should I start feeling too lonely. Indeed, they already have come to my rescue once, and in a very big way. I met most of them at the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous in 2016 and 2017, and I’m sure I’ll meet more in the future. I spent the best part of 11-years traveling on my own prior to this, and I’m so appreciative of Bob Wells for bringing us together at the RTR. If you’d like to know more about the RTR please visit Bob’s web page at www.CheapRVLiving.com.
~~~
It’s not always easy to leave a place I’ve been in for a long time, especially when I’ve considered it my home base and will be leaving behind friends, and the familiar.
It is known as a comfort zone, and comfort zones are hard to leave. Oh, it’s fine when you’re going on a holiday or vacation, your comfort zone waits for your return. It is that place that has you saying “Ahhh, it’s good to be home,” on your return. Maybe it’s your home, or even your town or just an area that feels safe and familiar to you. However, when one doesn’t have a place to return to or a particular place to go to, it can be a hard step to make.
I believe that is one of the reasons so many people stay in one place all their lives, or settle for a town or job that does nothing for them, or remain in a place or situation they truly dislike or even hate. It is easier to stay with the familiar than to face the unknown.
I’m well practiced at leaving a comfort zone, I’ve moved-on many times in my life, often entirely on my own, and still, I get a nervous feeling in my stomach as I drive out of the town or area I’ve thought of as home for a while.
It comes in little waves for the first day or two. Sometimes it feels like a very deep sadness or loneliness that sits in my heart, for I am after all, alone. I do have one friend out-there, whom I meet up with occasionally for some adventure, but he’s a drifter like myself, and I don’t know where he’ll be. I also don’t have a single family member in this entire country, so there is no one to turn to should things go wrong. I’m completely alone.
Other times it comes in the form of anxiety, a restless turmoil in the stomach that may last for a few minutes. Nerves. I always feel a little bit better when I look at the map and make a decision on a general direction, like, North. If I actually narrow it down to a particular place, it eases some more. And so I move onward, further and further away from the safety of my comfort zone, one mile at a time.
But the anxiety doesn’t stay, it usually only comes and goes for a couple of days. By the time day number four or five comes around, I find that my excitement for life, for the unknown, and the desire to see what is around the next bend or over the next hill takes over. I find myself settling into a new comfort zone, the one of the open road, the highway, the unknown.
Magic can happen in ones comfort zone, but when you step outside it, you are exposed to a lot more magical and amazing experiences, because you are no longer limited.
I encourage each one of you to step outside your comfort zone every now and then. Pack your bags and head out for the weekend without a plan. Just drive up roads you’ve never been up before, drive further than you have before, try something different. And if your life has become stale, if you are feeling stuck, then reach inside yourself and find the courage and the guts it takes to leave. We all have a spot inside us that is loaded with courage. Stir it up, dig it out, bring it to life. Leave! Go on, do it.. you just never know what magic will await you around the next bend, and with any luck, it might even become addictive.
Until next time…
Adjusting to her new comfort zone and finding magic on the open road…
Roxy ~ A Nomad for Nature
LIKE THIS CONTENT? ENJOYING MY POSTS? HERE ARE A COUPLE OF WAYS YOU CAN SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS BLOG:
*You can purchase an image, card, tote bag, t-shirt or other items from my photography store at Tranquil Light Photography.com (or share the web page on your favorite social platform).
*You can buy me a cup or two of Ko-fi for just $3.00 each. It’s super easy, all you need is a credit card. Click the image below to see how easy it is, and thank you for your support. I put a lot of hours into my posts and my YouTube Channel, and all support is greatly appreciated.
