Friday, April 4, 2014

Easy Isn’t Always Better

Let’s face it.  We’re creatures of habit.  Humans have a way of gravitating toward what feels most natural: what they know.

I’m that way.  Easier is… well… easy. 

But easy doesn’t mean it’s always the best option.  I’ve learned that the hard way.  And on multiple occasions.  The times of my life that I remember the most, the moments that changed me for good have been the times that were hard. 

Here's my story.

 I grew up in Colorado.  I wasn’t really an adventurer.  I preferred to stay home with a good book rather than go out and do something new.  My plan for my life was to get a nursing degree at a university near home, with my cousin as a roommate.  From there, I planned on living my life without any excitement and without any difficulties.

I would have been perfectly content with a life like that.  No fuss, no injuries.  But who’d want to read about that?

As a senior in high school, I received a pamphlet for Saint Louis University’s Madrid Campus.   It had an opportunity to obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing from both the United States and Spain.  The thought both intrigued and terrified me.  I won’t go into the details, but after a year of debating, dealing with the fear of the unknown, I moved to Spain.

In the two years I lived in Madrid, I experienced things that I’d never dreamed of.  I learned a new language, I traveled to Germany, I met a handsome Bolivian and brought him back to the US where we got married.  I even learned how to dance.  Each experience is one that I treasure, and the person that I became is who I am today. 

Castle Manzanares El Real

Symbol of Madrid

Segovia


As a writer, I search for those moments that take my characters out of their comfort levels.  I want them to struggle, to learn, and to grow.  Because ultimately, that’s the story that I would want to read. 


How about you?  Have there been moments when you stepped out of your comfort zone and experienced something new?

5 comments:

  1. Great post, Krista. Your experiences make for richer writing.

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  2. I can relate. I'm from Utah and moved to Zaragoza, Spain to teach English and finish my Spanish Degree.

    I think it's important to step out of our comfort zones and experience other cultures. It's as beneficial to us, as it is for the people who meet us.

    A lot of us from the USA think we already have it all, and that there is no reason to leave, but I heartily disagree.

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    1. I completely agree. There's no way to understand someone more than to immerse yourself in their culture.

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  3. You're right, easy rarely makes for an interesting story. I'm curious, what gave you the courage/inspiration to step out of your comfort zone and go half a world away? (FYI, I think its great that you did that!)

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    1. Thanks! It was not an easy decision, but it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I wanted to get my nursing degree, and the program in Madrid offered the chance to get a degree in both the US and Spain. I didn't end up getting the Spanish nursing license, but it was still worth it.

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