Give Up or Grow

There are times in life when you step out of your comfort zone to do something that seems big. This could be following up on a job interview or giving a stranger a compliment. Stepping out of your comfort zone can lead you to grow and learn more.

Many times, I have an idea that takes me out of my comfort zone, and I give up on it. But whenever I do step out of my comfort zone, I usually never regret it. So 13 days ago, I stepped out of my comfort zone by flying to Tokyo. Little did I know that just getting there would put me into so many difficult situations.

Plans Shift

Everything so far has been pushing me to grow and do uncomfortable things. This started with my plane being delayed. The original plan was to arrive a day early and spend time in a hotel relaxing after a long day of traveling. The airlines had other ideas.

Apparently, the plane I was supposed to fly on wouldn’t be safe for a flight back to Japan, so I was stuck spending the night in Hawaii. This seemed like it would be nice, but after waiting four hours for a plane, three hours for customer service, and two hours for a taxi, I went straight to the hotel and crashed. I then proceeded to get up early to go catch a flight in the early morning. After two flights, I was finally in Japan.

Because of the delay, I missed the shuttle straight to the dorms and instead had to take the train. So, after slowly making my way through immigration and finally out of the airport, the hard part was about to begin. Now, if I were smart, I would have tried to learn about how the trains work to prepare myself. But I didn’t do that. So, running off two hours of sleep from the plane, I bought a ticket. The instructions I received from the program leaders were clear. I knew which station to get off at, so I was all ready to go. Hopefully, it would be easy going from here, I thought.

Stuck

A sign with multiple different trains appeared before me. Many different trains with different lines and times filled the board. What at first had seemed simple and easy to follow now was a jumbled mess. If I had better prepared for this, the instructions and having data reception would have made this very easy. But since I didn’t think of what all I needed to prepare for, I had nothing going for me.

With no clue what to do, I hopped on a train. A monitor showed stations we would be stopping at. The one I wanted wasn’t there. So, I got off the train. Now, I was in the middle of Tokyo with no clue where to go. I also don’t speak Japanese, so it wasn’t easy to ask for help. I walked up to some other foreigners in the hope of being able to ask where to go in English.

Everyone I approached also said it was their first time, and they didn’t really know what to do. So, with no one to ask and no phone data to use for translation, I was stuck. The trains don’t run all night. They stop at midnight, and it was 10:30 p.m. I didn’t want to walk two hours to my dorm in the middle of the night, but I didn’t know where my ticket would let me go. What if I commited a crime by not paying right? All these thoughts were running through my head. I felt like bricks were stacked on my chest, making it hard to breathe. I had to think.

Pushing Forward

At this moment, I was faced with two decisions: give up or grow. Everything seemed to be against me, and I felt helpless. I wanted to give up. But I knew I needed to do something, or nothing would change. So I asked for help.

It was not easy to just approach someone who doesn’t speak the same language, but I had no other choice. I did my best to ask where the station I needed was, and despite some confusion, I finally knew which way to go. I continued to repeat this process of asking for help until I finally made it to the right station. It was so nice to go from a packed train where I nearly was pushed over due to the space my suitcase took up to an empty station. I got through it.

From the station to the dorms, it was an easy walk. I passed by convenience stores and vending machines on dark streets. Usually, I would be a little wary of walking around in the middle of the night, but reminding myself how safe Japan was—and how tired I was—made me not care one bit. Once I arrived at my dorm, setting down my bags and just sitting felt amazing. I had completed the hardest part of the trip. The part I dreaded for weeks was over.

Growth

Everything has been pretty simple since making it to the dorm, and nothing is as stressful as that first day. Even though things are easy, I am still out of my comfort zone. Every day, new challenges approach me.

But with these challenges, I also get to enjoy and see beautiful things. I love looking at the sakura or walking by the temples. Being able to see these just for a few days has made the trip incredibly worth it. The hardship of that first night was completely worth it for what I can now enjoy.

I can’t help but wonder if, at the end of my trip, I will still be as challenged or if everything will be way easier. If you are ever put in a position where you can give up or grow, I recommend taking the hard route and pushing yourself to improve. If I had an easy arrival, things like taking the trains and asking for help would be daunting, and I probably would have avoided them for as long as I could. So remember: You can always choose to either give up…or grow.