Leaving Your Comfort Zone

On the 19th of August 2021, I left the shores of Africa. My destination was Europe, to begin a Joint Master's degree in Management and Engineering of Environment and Energy (ME3+). I had been so carried away by the euphoria and the perks of a fully-funded program that I forgot I was leaving behind everything I had known for the past two decades. For the first time, I was stepping out of the society and the norms that have nurtured me into another environment I only ever engaged with virtually.

In my honest assessment, I believe the moment of realization for me was when the Turkish Airline took off from Lagos, Nigeria, at about 10 pm (WAT). I was alone in practically every sense, and I cried. I really cannot detail why the tears; however, the fact that I would be breathing a different air for the first time made me nervous.

Leaving the familiar was not particularly new to me. I had barely clocked ten when I travelled 811km away from our family residence in Epe, Lagos State, Nigeria, to Benue State, Nigeria. I had admitted into Calvary Arrows College (CAC). CAC was a new boarding school where I spent about six years of secondary education. I recall that I had initiated schooling in a faraway place due to my obsession for a novel our school teacher read to us in Primary School. The book was titled Mother's Choice by Agbo Areo. It was far back in primary school that I learned to dream. Every night and every entrance exam for college presented a new opportunity to dream of travelling away from home just as Ade Junior had travelled, to school in Oxford. I am not sure the reason for such longings or how noble they were, but I learned the subtle art of desiring adventures in distant lands.

A gentle observation immediately reveals that I initiated every exit off my comfort zone. The courage to create my dreams, however unthinkable or childish they were, is what I believe to be the first step away from any comfort zone. I am aware that many people are in jobs, countries, and positions that they have become disinterested in but lack enough courage to dream of their exit strategy. I admit that it is not an easy task to dare to dream as your mind flashes over every difficulty and distress a new environment can bring. I recognize that these fears are very valid. However, I have a mantra that says: "The danger might be real, but fear is a choice I am unwilling to give into."

"The danger might be real, but fear is a choice I am unwilling to give into."

The dangers and the subject of my worries were indeed valid. My first encounters in Budapest were in no way ideal or comfortable. I remember that I was so terrified by one of my final exams that I wondered if I had made a mistake travelling many lands to study. Yet I excelled, made new friends, ate new meals, sang African songs at the Karaoke and enjoyed every "discomfort" in a new zone.

Again, I am here to dream. I have nurtured documenting my many experiences in writing for the longest time. I am confident of my writing prowess, but I doubt my level of consistency. I have noticed how comfortable I have become writing short phrases in the 140-character long tweeter generation world. I, however, want to explore the "discomfort" of consistency and the long-term benefit of impact I would contribute to knowledge by sharing my experiences. I finally concluded on trying, even if I failed, after listening to Gbemisola Akinsipe's podcast on Consistency in The Dreamer Girl Podcast. Wish me a safe voyage.