When I was in my 3rd grade I enjoyed cycling to my core! As an 8 year old kid in a small city in India, there wasn’t a lot to do during my summer vacations. Many of my friends would go on a holiday to their native villages away from the city. My grandparents lived nearby, and therefore the travel times were an hour at best.
Indian parents of the previous generation weren’t really an open minded lot. Most parents of kids who grew up in the late 80s and 90s did not encourage curiosity. They were cautious and prevented us from taking the slightest of risks. Just keep your nose in the books was the rule 24/7/365. Scoring high in our studies was the only expectation of us and nothing else!
Suffice to say, I was a bit of a rebel but surrounded myself with a good circle of friends, and fortunately few of them were just as adventurous as I.
It was the summer of '98 and my school was on a summer break. I would often cycle around exploring the neighbourhood I lived in. My mom @geetharao wasn’t always particularly pleased with this but there wasn’t a lot she could do other than scold me when I came back home late. My dad would be equally pissed!
But, we lived on the eastern side of the national highway that now divides the city in two. But, back in the day my part of town (which is less than 4kms or 5 minutes drive today from the heart of the city), was the outskirts of the city and seemed a different world altogether to Indian parents.
My friends wouldn’t visit me there as it was supposedly far away. Just a little too far for the mindset of small town parents. This forced me to venture out in order to avoid boredom. I would often ride around town on my bicycle and sometimes to my friends’ houses who were all spread around the city.
In 3rd grade I found a lifelong friend, who was a new addition to our class at the time. Anirudh had moved in from Mumbai and we had similar interests: computers, gaming and two-wheelers of the same type.
During the following summer holidays I would often ride to his house and eventually one day we decided to ride out of the city. We knew we couldn’t tell our parents, as they would confiscate our bicycles if they came to know we cycled a little further away from our home.
That barely stopped us! We were both given a tiny sum of 5 INR (USD 8 cents) as pocket money sometimes. It was enough to purchase a cold-drink or two. We’d do our long rides on hot summer days and explore the coastline and beaches nearby. It would be a few hours of cycling, and when we began we had basic non-geared cycles.
On our way back into the city we’d stop at this particular shop that sold juices made out of Mango pulp. A local company made it and it was our favorite throughout our days together in school. It wasn’t until one day that my friend wasn’t able to join me on a ride that I decided to do it on my own.
I ended up cycling nearly 30-35kms out of town which at the time was like taking a major roadtrip for me. I was maybe 10-11 years old at the time. I was nervous and a little scared of the consequences but did it anyway. I felt it would be worth the effort and I might discover something new.
What I found was that the experience felt liberating! I didn’t know what that meant until much later. It felt great to be independent and out there. Remember, these were simpler times without any mobile connectivity. I didn’t even have a watch to keep time, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being on my own. Later, this curious nature and the need to get out there helped me a lot as I crunched thousands of miles across the length and breadth of my country, travelling on my motorcycle.
Suffice to say, my mother was a little surprised but not completely shocked when I told her we’d do these during our summer vacations.
This year my friend and I have decided that in the future when my hand recovers completely from the nerve damage from my accident last year, we’ll pick up two good motorcycles and travel around the country for a little bit. I hope we get to do it soon!
Over the years we've also ventured out in terms of our professional lives. We both quit our formal employment and worked hard to become self-employed. Today, he runs a factory while I’m a digital nomad-something that we both wanted to do in our lives!
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Love this. Making yourself vulnerable is the process of maturing. It's nice to go back in time with a story like this and place yourself as a kid. Thank you for the memory. Have a nice weekend
Hahahahaha, so funny but actually freedom is the best thing that can happen to a mans life but sometimes man need to be careful,
Lol... You really stress your parent
Well done ..
You should know that life will not be easy .. Yes for a while
One must develop himself by exploiting all opportunities to overcome the difficulties of this life..
I didn't know you still had lingering nerve damage! Wow. And you're still here with us <3
I've always, as long as I can remember, just lived from the guts out, never really settling in a comfort zone..well.. comfortably. I've never felt there was another way for me--born artist? I am constantly moving out of my comfort zone, constantly trying to grow and become and share and conquer.
It sounds romantic, but the thing people forget is that it's actually really taxing. There is a lot of reward, but there is also a big reason why people stay comfortable. The unknown often gets you hurt and beaten up.
But.. it's still worth it, at least so far. I know I've lived a much richer life for taking risks, but I've also borne a lot more grief, pain, and disappointment. But it really is our only one life, and I do think I'd rather not have the regrets of shying away from the challenges that invite.
My goal is to learn even more to live unafraid - maybe that will mean taking more concrete chances.. like bungee jumping or something? lol
Well said Kay! I hope to continue exploring more of this world as I continue achieving more of my goals. There's so much to discover.
It's getting better as the months go by. I hope to get back to teaching myself to play the electric guitar that I picked up couple of weeks before the accident. :D
Great to see you stop by my post. Cheers!
Jordan Peterson has just releases a new book called the 12 rules of life chimes in with
this
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Interesting! I'll look into this. thanks. :)
Ah love it! Yes bikes can certainly get certainly get you out of your comfort zone. Similarly for me riding my bike took me to new places and new sights... let me overcome fears and learn a lot by being in close contact with my environment. Great post and great question!
so sad for me ...at 36 I still don't know how to ride a bike...
I think it's too late for me to try..huhu
Oh I don’t think it’s ever too late ;)
Wish your hand get well soon so that you can explore as much as u want to. Most of the Asian parents are typical. For them, good study result equals to success in the future. It is unbelievable that you able to explore so much since a young age, keep it up!
It wasn't easy and I didn't give up. Thank you for stopping by. :)
One advise said, "If you feel that you're at peace and in peace, then that's where you belong." The second advise was, "If you're in a difficult and painful situation, then its for you." Which one is right? I don't know. Maybe both are right. The point here is how we decide on things base on reasons not on feelings. Its the mind over body. You can fall in love in anything but you have to decide which to fall in love with for a reason.
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Very good information
Thanks for the post mate. Your article helped me travel a bit to my childhood days and memories. I had a serious craze on cycling in my very young age and it gradually changed towards my bike. For me traveling anywhere in my bike is the real comfort zone.
We almost had similar childhood experience. 😂 😂 😂
This piece actually made me remember my childhood even though it was lonely growing up, school and attending social gatherings as a kid later made it worthwhile ...thanks 4 reminding me😊
Who’s the real you? The person who did something awful, or the one who’s horrified by the awful thing you did? Is one part of you allowed to forgive the other?
Your parents’ disapproval doesn’t make you a bad person.
I know that kind of rejection is incredibly painful, but it doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. Just so you know.
https://steemit.com/story/@suprspidobatman/who-s-the-real-you
Visiting Dubai allowed me to step outside of my closed english mindset and open more of a global vision of how people from different cultures with different norms can interact so respectfully. Go to Dubai guys, get talking to some people and it will open your mind.
You know what? I really haven't. I need to add that as a resolution!
I feel identified with this experience that you shared in this pots, the bike ride with your friend, travel 30-35 kms at 10 years old or 11 years old, incredible. I also liked that you mentioned that you toured your country with a motorcycle, a digital nomad, it's very good. I also hope to visit my beautiful country Venezuela, I hope that it will be achieved this year.
Thank you for telling your story, I will give you my vote and I will follow you.
Greetings from Venezuela.
You know, I used to step out of my comfort zone a lot when I was younger. I remember the big thing for me was going to France for a school exchange program. I recently saw my old correspondent who visited Canada, after 23 years.
These days, I am a bit stuck in a comfort zone that doesn't even feel comfortable, due to burnout, CPTSD and an anxiety disorder that plague me. But I am slowly working on stepping out, small little baby steps at a time, so that I can get back to stepping out of my comfortable comfort zone when need be or when I desire it, with confidence.
So basically I'm starting over. The other day, I was at the store and I spoke to a stranger, I asked the cashier something. Right now, that is a step towards getting out of the fear based zone. My comfort zone isn't really comfortable. The comfiest zone right now is cuddled in bed with my plushies and my husband. So hopefully I can expand that further and feel as comforted doing a bunch of things and getting out of the house more.
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I think almost all parents are the same, they're just being protective to their children. But I admired you for your courage in stepping out of your comfort zone at very young age.
Good post , Its all ways good to step out and step up ..
Traveling 35km being only 10yo really takes a lot of courage!
But as your experienced, doing new things alone, can help us grow much faster. And the overprotective parents are pretty much common everywhere I think. In South America we have the same issue.
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Mantap
Stepping out of your comfort zone, something everyone has to do at some point.
siempre un padre va querer proteger a sus hijos.
wow i love it , this is fantastic ! is a good A GOOD post!
If you can dream it, you can do it!
It rely exiting for one to be free, to do what you like doing without any restrictions. good one. upped
What an inspiring story. It kind of goes along with a motto of an old employer of mine, "Find out where you are uncomfortable and stay there!" This is what spurs growth professionally and personally. I'm glad you experienced the same growth I did.
hola amigo buenas noches excelente publicacion
If I write in spanish, will you understand me?
Mi hijo anhela cumplir su mayoría de edad para cumplir con su sueño, primordial que es viajar, creo que esa sera su primera experiencia de como salir de su zona de confort. claro lo ha hecho pero a lugares cercanos a casa y con personas muy cercanas. buen post reconforta el positivismo en acción.
I was so lucky growing up on a farm, with total encouragement to explore everything.
This led to lack of fear in exploration of life, generally...
(I also suffered a crushed foot in a tractor, and being temporarily blinded when shooting paint aerosol cans with an air rifle pint blank range! lol durrr).
Life is fun , and yes - dangerous - embrace it!
Good to know little bit of you👌 courageous and independent👍
and sorrry to your hear about accident... Wish u all the best for the motorcycle adventure👍
GOOD, I ALSO IDENTIFY WITH YOU. THE FIRST TIME I CAME OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE, IT WAS WHEN I HAD TO LEAVE MY CITY TO STUDY PETROLEUM ENGINEERING, (IT WAS THE CAREER I WANTED TO STUDY). I CAN TELL YOU LEAVING FROM VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING AND RETURNED VERY LATE AT NIGHT. SO ALL THE DAYS SINCE IN MY CITY I COULD NEVER ENTER THE UNIVERSITY. I AM FROM VENEZUELA MARACAIBO, AND STUDYED FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE OVER THE LAKE. THANKS FOR SHARING.
It's not always easy stepping out of comfort zone, personally I don't really like being in someone's comfort zone but the one that hit me hard was when my mum died... I think that's the only one left I was always willing to stay but hey that's life!!
That's a lovely story. Formative years was surely an indication of what you would do later :)
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Nice write up, leaving a comfort zone seems more like you wanna go av some breath of freedom..
Awesome :) that what life is all about follow what your heart says :)
There is only 1way to defeat your fear is that you must try it once!
The more we get hurt. The more we could learn. Maturity is basically a combination of experiences of failure and pure luck.
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Indeed , the comfort zone is where you feel most uncomfortable
Excellent post, and you are right to go out and venture to the outside world without having any notion of time and regardless of technology, that the most important thing is to enjoy the unique moment, keep posting posts like that, I congratulate you.
Sweet of you.. The way you are narrating is just SWEET AND SIMPLE @firepower...:)
Wow very beautiful exploration of the curious childhood. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful moments of your life, it is a saying that curocity is the colour of life and learning. You are unique and special from your very childhood, so you are in the position of peck now. Thanks for such a beautiful memories, wish you a very beautiful future.
hahaha... really cute story... I was more mischievous than adventurous. My family has always been the kind to take spontaneous road trips.
I don't think I've gone out of my comfort zone. It's only recently that I started doing things that I never even thought of attempting... ever!
Giving less fucks about what others think has really helped me explore what I am capable of doing and I am happier now... lol
Giving yourself a chance, believing in yourself... that's what is important. Sometimes the people who care about you tend to hold you back. But, we can't live under their protection forever. A bird's got to leave its nest some day...
Hello. I am new here in steemit and i'm happy to find this kind of post. About the post I think we all need to get out of our comfort zone to grow up and feel the freedom that once we try nothing can be impossible.
I hope you can help me follow me and voting me
Leaving the comfort zone implies making difficult decisions, it means that you have to do something you are not comfortable with, in order to abandon your routine and overcome your fears.... But you must break that bubble!!
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