A Leap of Faith, A Jump Out of My Comfort Zone

Casual ride in a "Taxi"

 

Every house is different, here are a couple houses in the town I am living in. 

If you don't step out of your comfort zone, the things you fear will keep growing. The more you step our of you comfort zone the more you grow as a person. 

This trip has been filled with experiences that push me out of my comfort zone every day. For those of you that know me well, you know that is one thing I need to work on the most. Pushing myself out of my comfort areas. In the past two weeks I have learned so much about myself, and I have already grown so much as an individual. It is impossible not to under the circumstances I am living under. From the moment I wake up, to the moment I go to bed...I am speaking Spanish with Jackelyn. That alone is scary and uncomfortable for me. But its more than that, last night I could not sleep...at all. I found a total of 8 large spiders (2-3in), a gecko, and 4-5 centipede looking things in my room. Because it has been so windy here lately, I think the insects are trying their hardest to get inside. I tell you, I woke up about every hour of the night to check around my bed for more insects, and almost every time I checked I found 2-3 on the wall right by my bed. I kept imagining something of that size being in my bed, or crawling on me. I am a complete baby when it comes to insects, therefore only got about 4 hours of sleep last night. Then today for example, I rode in another Taxi, which is the back of a pick-up truck. A stranger started questioning me in spanish about all sorts of things! I found myself standing up in the back of a truck conversing with a man in Spanish. Then, I went with Jackelyn to her house to enjoy lunch with her family. I was the only person there who spoke English, therefor all the conversing was in Spanish. I can understand Jackelyn very well, but it was much harder understanding other people in her family! We had a variety of seafood, which let me tell you, isn't my favorite. On my plate I had a whole fish. Literally... a whole fish, head and all! I just sat there, took a deep breath and said, "I can do this." It isn't about what I want, being picky, or being a princess while I am here. I am trying my best every day to embrace these new experiences. But I have to be honest, it is very hard for me. I can feel myself growing, learning, and believing in myself each and every day. And each day I gain more confidence. 

Today when I was at Jackelyn's home, I was apologizing for my poor Spanish, and her dad told me this...

"Your Spanish is beautiful. It does not sound the same as our Spanish, and you have your own American accent, but it is beautiful to hear someone try their best at another language. Especially when we do not speak English, you are at least using a language that is unknown to you and not your own. You should be proud."

After hearing this I could not help but smile. That is exactly what I tell myself every day. But thats all I can hope that the people around me think as well. I am trying my best, it is hard, and I know I do not sound the same...but I CAN communicate with people in another language. And that... is something to be proud of. 

Thank you for your love and support. It gets me through the hard days, the low points, and it gives me reason to celebrate the joys and blessings around me.