When looking at a map of London, you will probably notice that there are 6 zones. Zone one is the most central, and depending on where you’re traveling to/from, the journey will cost more/less. However, there is a zone that is not listed on the map: your comfort zone. Creating a new routine in a new location with new people is an adjustment, and it takes time to settle in. Once people do get in the swing of things, we tend to stick to familiarity. That being said, it’s easy to stick to a pattern without switching it up. This pattern can be of our meal times, which days we go grocery shopping, which bars we go to, and of the people we hang out with.
In my program, there are a few different housing locations spread out amongst zone 2. Some houses are closer to others, which independently created a pattern of who I hung out with most. It’s not uncommon to hang around those who are more reachable than others. However, it did start to dawn on me that there are a multitude of other interns in my program who I am not having experiences with. Being the person that I am, I try to take away as much as I can from a situation, and I felt like I was lacking.
This past weekend, I reached out to a few interns who I rarely see, mostly because our houses are further apart and at this point most people have their set groups. I didn’t let this stop or scare me though, and I ended up meeting them at a bar. One of the interns had a friend visiting her from Italy, so I even got to meet a person outside of my program. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, we had a group of 9 people, 5 of which I had met that night. It ended up being one of the most fun nights I have had in a while and it’s all because I stepped out of my comfort zone. Crossing the border of your comfort zone is daunting, but it’s not so scary on the other side.
