Saturday, January 8, 2022

Stepping Outside of Your Comfort Zone - 2021


2021 has been a year of stepping out of my comfort zone. After 2020 being such a strange year for me from it being normal at the beginning of the year and doing PD Auxiliary Classes and going to a dog show to being in a pandemic and getting kicked out of my rental by people I thought were friends, to finding a place to rent in like 15 days with the help of great friends, and finding the BEST landlords in the world. The hospital being like one of the only businesses open and then the FIRES - 2020 sucked.

2021 started with somewhat the ending of 2020, but at least the fires were contained and things were slowly getting back to a semblance of what once was normal. 

I have done a ton of things on Zoom, Google Meetings, Teams and other online venues to do meetings and just "hang" with friends and family members - that was a whole new experience. 

The second week in March, I went from Sunday days and Wednesday/Thursday or Thursday/Friday nights to being a DAYWALKER - Sunday days, Thursday and Friday days. The Co-worker who had Thursday and Friday days went to the ambulance crew full time and I was given those days! Daywalking is a whole new experience. And I went for it - going after it when the opportunity would pop up - before I would not have done that. 


March also brought me spoiling myself - something I haven't done in ages - I made the plan to once per month get a massage, facial and just pamper me. Believe me I am not a girly-girl and not one to do this, but I decided that I was totally worth it and this would happen. 


April brought coming back to doing Auxiliary things as more events opened up. Community Clean Up was one of those events and like the first time in a year that the crew had been together in person. It was weird to be back together and doing "normal" things again. 



May brought about a trip to North Platte because it's 1/2 way between Estes Park and Yankton and a meet up with my model BFF Morgan Haberman. We haven't seen each other in a year and we were like the ONLY people wearing masks in the town - quite out of my comfort zone and it was an interesting experience. 


Another step out of the comfort zone in May was joining the Community Garage Sale in Estes Park - I did a very good sale in May, but June was not so good -it rained us out and I didn't do July or August or September there either due to weather and scheduling conflicts. I am not comfortable around a lot of people and while I can be social - my ADHD and RSD make it very uncomfortable if I am not in the mood for it. 


June brought the CROWNS FOR THE CARE - I did several blogs on it - so you might check past blogs to read it all - this had to be the largest STEP out of my comfort zone so far of the year.


The rest of July and August was just working, and I did apply for jobs at other places due to frustration with the hospital. Interviewing is not an easy task and puts you on the spot, but it is good to learn about yourself more and other businesses, even if they don't work out for you in the end. 

I also managed to do artwork in August and I posted on a project I started in July and finished in August. A color experiment that did not go the way I planned. In the past, I would have trashed the project and never let out a peep. Now, I am accepting that things that don't work out well aren't always bad and can be a learning experience and a step outside the comfort zone. 

September brought Longmire Days (a different version because the actors couldn't make it this year due to Covid-19 issues) and my Wilderness first responder course. While Longmire Days is not out of my comfort zone - it was the first time I traveled there alone in 4 years. My traveling buddy Rudi couldn't make it. It was scary to travel by myself, with my old truck, but we both made it there and back again and I had a total blast!!! 




The Wilderness first responder course was the second largest out of my comfort zone of the year and I have a whole blog on it. It was a lot of sweat, tears, aching muscles, learning and meeting great people! 



Late September and early October brought sadness. On September 26, 2021, my "Step Dad" Kenny passed away. He was a wonderful man and I am so sad. I went back and spent 10 days with my mother and her friend Jann. 




While I was visiting my mom, I got a call about a job I had applied for. They did a TEAMS interview with me and I drove back on October 11 to do another interview on October 12. I was offered the job on October 15, turned in my resignation at EPH on October 17, and my last full time day was Friday, October 29. I am a PRN still at the hospital, but I now work full time at UCHealth Primary Care. I am so excited for this new adventure! 



I also did some fun things like art weekends with friends, and going to a play last minute with a friend, going to movies by myself, and slowly working on my art. 
Doing all the things that are so out of my comfort zone. 




There are so many fun things outside of your comfort zone! 


Fire - the #KrugerRockFire happened on November 16, 2021 at 6:50 AM - this was the view from my office window. It brought back a lot of unwanted anxiety and PTSD from the #CameronPeak and #EastTroublesome Fires. The great firefighters got it 100% contained on 11/20/21 at 6 PM. 



Estes Park Police Auxiliary doing the Blue Santa Drive at the Tree lighting. Great time and great donations. 


Another awesome Adam Driver movie. And there were a whole 5 people in the theater. 

I am grateful for a year of going beyond what I have felt comfortable doing, making changes and ending some things. Now on to 2022. 





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