Finding Life

I saw a quote on a yoga blog the other day. You know, one of those "inspirational" photo/quote things that are littering the internet nowadays? Unlike the millions of others I've seen on various blogs and Pinterest boards, this particular verse stuck with me the instant I saw it:

"Life begins outside of your comfort zone."

No attribution, no name; just those words in bold white font plastered over a photo of an impossibly bendy girl in yoga pants.I quickly stole the quote and slapped it up as a Facebook status and that was that. Done. 

Except...I wasn't. 

I realized the irony of sharing those words from the comfort of my bed beneath my billowing comforter. The sun was shining and the Alps outside my window were begging to be explored, but I was too lazy and nervous to go out and explore alone. So much for my life beginning.

Today those words worked their magic. I went to class and quickly realized that the weather was not in favor of me roving about the city. It is colder than it has been in weeks and raining cats and dogs. I had no intention of puttering about in such gloom, so I attempted to sit at a cafe and eat lunch instead of going straight home after class. Unfortunately my sandwich wasn't up to par and it ended up in the garbage while I ended up back at home anyway, not in the mood to try and find anything better to eat. 

However the moment I curled up on my futon with a mug of tea, that quote came back to me full-force. All I could think was:

Get out of your comfort zone. NOW.

Some unseen force pulled me to my feet and before I ever made the conscious decision to do so, I was walking out the door and headed to the Musee de Grenoble. What?

I bought a ticket alone and wandered through the gallery without a guide, map, friend, or plan. I knew I wanted to get some inspiration and sit down to draw, but that was about it. I stumbled across some Magritte, Picasso, and Monet, as well as a new favorite of mine: Agutte.

A painting  by Agutte that I liked quite a lot.

In the modern art section I found an interesting formation of mirrors. I took a moment to push away any self--consciousness, and sat down on the floor in front of them to draw. The museum is huge and beautiful, and I miraculously found myself lost in the feeling of the cold cement floor and the sound of the rain outside. (It reminded me just a little of Harry Potter staring into the Mirror of Erised).

My little drawing.  "Self : a study of sorts"
I don't claim to be an artist, but I do like to have fun with it.

I passed two hours this way and it felt way better than getting fat and lazy in bed. On the way back home I even found that my favorite cafe, which I thought was closed, had opened up for the afternoon. I enjoyed a delicious vanilla latte and chatted with a fellow API student I ran into. 

Everyone has different comfort zones. Mine even changes depending on the day and how I'm feeling at a particular moment! It might not seem like going to a museum alone is hard or challenging, but for me it was. Do something every day that makes you a little uncomfortable. Speak french to a neighbor on the tram. Go see that movie no one else wants to see solo. Buy a ticket to go cliff diving. Whatever it is that pushes you outside of your boundaries: go do it. Trust me, it's worth it.