For most of my life I had been a planner. I often struggled with breaking a schedule and being spontaneous. New Years Eve of 2018, I was deciding what to make my resolution that year.
I could have done the usual “I will lose weight” or “I will stop drinking pop” scenarios, but I wanted to do something that I knew would have a longer effect on me mentally and physically.
It was then that I decided I wanted to say yes more in the year 2019. To be clear, I would only say yes to things that didn’t put my life in danger. Instead, I wanted to experience more things and step out of my comfort zone.
Now before I go any further explaining, I cannot take all the credit for coming up with this resolution on my own.
For a majority of my Christmas break that year, I started to watch “The Bold Type,” a show on Freeform about three young ladies who work at a fashion magazine in New York City.
Toward the end of the first episode, the song “Living Out Loud” by Sia played in the background. After watching that episode, the song stuck in my head for a while.
The message that “nothing can stop me, I will live my life the way I want” stuck out and really had an effect on me.
It was then that I decided I wanted to start living out of my comfort zone and start experiencing the life I truly wanted to live.
Since then, I have done a lot of things that would have scared me in the past.
This past summer I said yes to leaving the country and traveling without my family for once. In the past, I have traveled to Washington, D.C. and Florida without my family, but being in a different country was a lot to take in.
Once the initial fear was gone, I was in awe that I was living a dream of mine since I was a child. Getting to check things off my bucket list was rewarding all because I took a chance and said yes to something so crazy.
Over fall break, I decided to go tree trekking with my best friend at Peek’n Peak Resort. I have always been afraid of heights, but I said yes to going on this crazy adventure with her.
For anyone who is not sure what tree trekking is, it is exploring the trees on zip lines, swinging bridges, monkey cables, Tarzan swings and much more. I highly recommend this for someone looking for something new and exciting to do. However, if you are afraid of heights like I am, be sure to do the level recommend for children.
I think the event I am most proud of myself for is moving out on my own. Although I am at an age that this is appropriate, this was still a big deal for me. I have always been super close with my family and the thought of having a place that is mine, without them, is still something I am getting used to.
Whether it be something big, like traveling, or something small, like tree trekking, it is important to live your life.
I feel we often forget that we only get one life, and we must live it to the fullest because we will never get this time back.
I look forward to my next adventure, and wherever it may take me.

OLIVIA HAHNER
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