Finding My Footing
Why adventure and challenge bring us stability
I’ve officially lived in Costa Rica for three weeks and two days. I struggle to write a weekly post because there is just so much to talk about. Every day is a new experience that brings a deeply felt lesson.
Before I arrived in CR, I had a lot of doubts and I shed a lot of tears. For someone who craves stability and community, this move felt so antithetical to my needs and desires.
These doubts were clearly illuminated when I finished packing. Seeing everything you own, the sum total of your life, in an SUV feels pitiful. As I approach 30, I feel increasing pressure to be settled and have it all— the house, the partner, a dog, and kids. Before I deleted Instagram, my feed was full of engagement posts and cute vignettes of people walking down the aisle. I started to feel incredibly deficient. Deductive reasoning told me that if I wanted all of these things and I didn’t have any of these things then there must be something wrong with me.
Over the past three weeks, there has been a massive shift. As I was walking to town the other day I realized something— challenges bring stability. The adventures that involve bugs, heat, surfing every day, being alone, navigating a new place, etc. all bring unique challenges. Every challenge I overcome instills more confidence in myself, which, ultimately, makes me feel stable.
To state it simply, the algorithm goes like this:
More adventures = more challenges = more opportunities to overcome challenges = more confidence in yourself = more stability.
This is extremely liberating. The idea that I can go anywhere and do anything and figure it out, expands my view of what life could look like.
Catching a massive wave, figuring out how to get from point A to point B, killing giant bugs, etc. has brought a feeling of sufficiency. When people ask if I am traveling by myself, I proudly respond, “Si, estoy sola.”