step out

Emma Garrick

Do it. Now is the time to step out of your comfort zone. When I was younger, I had an opportunity to go on a kayaking expedition, but I didn’t go. It would have been awesome; my friends were going, this boy I liked was going to be there, it just would have been a super fun week.

I didn’t go because I was too scared. I thought that there was no way I would be able to keep up with everyone else. I made up all these excuses why I should not go, but it was just that I felt unsure. This trip was out of my comfort zone. I decided that I would instead feel safe and a bit sad to have missed out than have to worry or feel any of that knotted stomach, a lump in your throat feeling that comes before stepping out of your comfort zone.

That was a dumb decision. Most of the time when we don’t do the things we want to, it’s because we are afraid—scared of not being good enough, fearful of what people might think of you, and scared that it won’t meet your expectations. Its time to throw away these thoughts. Its time to go to do that thing that’s out of your comfort zone. Go, talk to those people you want to be friends with, tell that girl you like her, change your degree, accept the job that’s far away, step out into the unknown.

The thing is, when you do not step out, when you play it safe, you miss out no matter what. Whether the experience is good or bad, it’s an experience you don’t get to have.

I ended up going on the same kayaking trip three years later and had a fantastic time. And yeah, it wasn’t perfect, I found out you can get seasick in a kayak, and I definitely cried when I couldn’t get the kayak into shore against the tide and a storm. But I am so glad I went because it widened my comfort zone.

So, step out of your comfort zone, it’ll be more fun.

real talk

What is it that makes you feel the safest, where life feels stable and unthreatened?

Jasmine: My comfort zone is essentially anywhere that I feel safe, stable and comfortable. It can be out and about with friends and family, going on adventures or even being by myself watching a movie, listening to music or playing the guitar. I feel like my comfort zone is ever-changing and growing as I weave through life. For example, I have recently fallen in love with ceramics, which has now become a part of it too.

sam: My comfort zone is anywhere I’m alone. I don’t particularly like being in public places for longer than I need to be; however, cafés and parks can sometimes resemble a comfort zone for me. My main comfort zone is my bedroom or anywhere I can be quiet and not disturbed, as I’m an introvert. I tend to gravitate towards places with aesthetic surroundings. As for a mental comfort zone, I don’t go to any ‘happy place’, you’ll just see me stare into space and completely tune out, and I won’t even notice I’m doing it.

Do you try to push yourself out of that space often? Do you intend to? Why?

Jasmine: I would like to say yes. I try to push myself out of my bubble, but not as much as I could. I think an easy transition to going outside what I am comfortable with is by doing something that I am comfortable with, but pushing the boundaries in regards to the setting I’m in. For example, I’m not one to be super comfortable in front of a big crowd, but yet I don’t mind playing the guitar for either Salt or Church. Playing the guitar is something in my comfort zone, yet being in front of people isn’t. With all that has happened with the coronavirus this year, it has made it a bit difficult to keep pushing out of that space, but now we are back at college I intend to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone.

sam: Yes, all the time. I’m aware that personal growth comes from stepping out of one’s comfort zone, but I hate doing it. I want to be a gym person that wakes up at 5am but I can’t get myself to want to wake up that early. I also wish I was more social and had a way with people, but I don’t like the idea of introducing myself or having people take over my personal space. I think stepping out of comfort zones but also knowing your personal boundaries is important.

What have you lost by pushing yourself too far? What have you gained?

Jasmine: In each point where I have pushed my self I have always gained the opportunity to met new, amazing people. Majority of the time the experiences that I had has always been positive, and memorable. In terms of the things that I may lost, I don’t think that there would be anything. If anything, if I do something out of my comfort zone that I didn’t like then I know for the future that wasn’t for me. It would be a learning curve in discovering myself. sam: When I have stood up to people, I’ve either lost that person or developed a better relationship. I have trouble with talking about my feelings when it matters. I wouldn’t say standing up for yourself is pushing too far, but I’ve been in friendships/relationships that were beyond repair but I haven’t taken the hint and kept trying to make things better. In those situations I’ve gained more experience and probably learnt a valuable lesson, but I’ve lost a little dignity and jeopardised my self-respect along the way. Yikes.

jasmine & sam

#avondalexp

keep tagging #avondalexp pics- even if it’s a fav avondale memory or throwback! feel free to direclty send avondale photos you’d like featured to chris mcclelland on fb.

Cheat Sheet

We’re almost there guys! The end of 2020 is creeping up on us a lot faster than anticipated. However, I think we can all agree this year wasn’t a handful of flowers and rainbows, but hopefully these new additions to the cheat sheet will distract you for the remainder of this nightmare. All of these recommendations are things I genuinely haven’t been able to stop viewing or using over the past month, and I hope they bring you as much joy as they did me, as well as wasting your precious study time.

website

IDRlabs.com/tests

If you’re anything like me and love a good quiz that tells you something about yourself that you never knew or technically don’t need to know, then this site is for you. I’ve done almost every personality test under the sun; however, this site takes it to the next level. You could spend ages on this site figuring out what Simpsons, GoT, Pooh Bear, Rick and Morty, Hogwarts character you are. IDRlabs.com/tests will also give you some uncomfortable realisations into you psyche such as a Dark Core, Dark Triad, Psychopath or Villain test. So if you have an inkling that you may have a psycho for a friend, I would highly recommend getting them to take this test, for your own safety, of course.

wyoutube

Vice

It’s no secret, looking at all my other YouTube recommendations throughout this year, that all I watch on YouTube is news and journalism content. But I can’t get enough of the random, history, pop culture, religious, political and downright strange journalism that comes out of the Vice YouTube channel. They have such awesome content that can keep you hooked for hours. They have a range of fascinating series from serious conversations focusing on drugs to satirical one-star reviews. This channel broadens your knowledge on stuff you never thought existed or necessarily don’t really need to know. Scandinavian countryside.

APPS

Trivia Crack

At Avondale’s last Trivia Night, my team came in second, and I genuinely believe playing this game religiously for the two weeks leading up definitely gave my team an upper hand. This game is addictive yet super educational, so you don’t feel as bad playing it for hours on end. Also, you get the added bonus of playing with friends and proving to them that you know way more about pointless trivia than they do.

MOVIES

Captain FantasticWhat We Do in The Shadows

Have you, like thousands of other people, fallen in love with the Have you, like thousands of other people, fallen in love with the work of Taika Waititi? Yes? Well, you’ll love this mockumentary about vampire housemates living in Wellington, NZ. Actors, Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi and Jonathan Brugh, are a bunch of vampires who are trying to cope with the complexities of vampirical life whilst showing a newly turned hipster vampire, Cori GonzalezMacuer, some of the perks of being undead. This movie will keep you in both stitches and horror as the housemates come into a variety of issues that will make you realise that being a modern vampire is much harder than what was portrayed by Edward Cullen.

music

The Japanese House

The fantastic and talented Amber Bain is the face of The Japanese House. Bain is a solo indie-pop act from Buckinghamshire, England, combining vocals, guitar, synthesiser and keyboard for her music. As a teenager, Bain decided to pursue a career in music, having been taught music from her father during childhood. Her music echoes sound similar to The 1975, Imogen Heap and Victoria LeGrand. Her use of overlapping harmonies to create a kind of thick, organic auto-tune has been praised for lending individualised depth to her tracks. because there are so many benefits to it.

TikTok

Gaffrey Art Material

Let’s be honest; as students, we really don’t have time to be watching long movies or tv series; hence why I have shamelessly fallen into the arms of TikTok, hard. I have spent many nights scrolling through the multitudes of animal, meme, art, comedy, politics, literature, history, science, music, dance videos. TikTok truly is a platform for anyone and everyone of all ages. As a future Art teacher, I have started following a lot of artistic pages to broaden my knowledge of the art world, and Gaffrey Art Materials has opened my eyes to a unique new form of art. They create heavy texture acrylics and art materials for 3D sculptural paintings. These artworks vary from oceanic forms, animals and nature, and each piece a masterpiece in artistry.