Today for Bloganuary we are supposed to write about the last time we left our comfort zone.
I laughed at reading that prompt because I feel like I need to work harder to remember the last time I was truly in my comfort zone. I have been living in Germany with my family for the last 3.5 years. There are many advantages and opportunities, but I struggle with the language and the culture. Then we visit the US and life and culture there has moved on without us. So I try to appreciate the best of where I am while I’m there and defend whatever hard won comfort zone I can find.
On the other hand, the problem with comfort zones is that it is possible to get stuck there. It’s just so comfortable that it can seem better to never leave. If living through a plague has taught me anything, its that simple human interactions can be great, but people need to stay in practice with social norms or we forget and drift apart. I have also learned that without the support of a steady, secure comfort zone it is difficult to be in a state to venture out and learn.
A recent trip out of my comfort zone includes participating in the TechLabs Aachen Digital Shaper program in Data Science. It is an optimal mix between practicing skills I already have and learning new skills because the program has an online learning platform part that is completed independently and a group project. This is a nice balance between independent learning and working together to do or make something.