Comfort Zone, WHAT comfort zone?

Lately I have been really challenged to do two things:
1) step out of my comfort zone in relation to how i interact with my community
2) stop sitting and start acting

Firstly, I am moving to Old Town Alexandria this week, which I am really excited about. My new community is very mixed-something that i'm not used to and to be honest a little bit scared of. At the same time, i'm really pumped about living in a place where everyone isn't white, and upper/middle class. Living in this area should be a really enriching experience for me and my roommates. Additionally, I don't want to simply live there. I also want to get involved in my new community and get to know my new neighbors...essentially to step out of my comfort zone.

Yesterday I went to church downtown with a friend. His church is very community-oriented. After church, we went to a picnic where we served lunches to the homeless and hung out with them. It was a great experience. This opportunity reminded me of how EASY it is to step out of my comfort zone and help those less fortunate, if I will only take a little time and have a little courage. The people that I interacted with were so receptive to our help and it was really encouraging to tangibly help people's lives in this way.

I have a lot of free time, since I don't have a job right now. As I think about the coming weeks, I see that I have SUCH an opportunity to get involved. While looking for jobs, I could sit around all day sending off cover letters and moping about my unemployed status. I could also get out, get involved, and start making a difference. There are so many summer volunteer opportunities, in the kinds of things that I have always wanted to do. Maybe I can't find a job working for a community garden; but I can certainly volunteer at one and gain some practical gardening skills and best practice research that will aid my future endeavors. Given that I will soon live in an area that is outside my comfort zone, I have to ask-WHAT is my comfort zone? Do I even have one anymore? It is fading fast...and I think that this is a good thing, a really good thing that is a part of my vision for my life.

Later in life I don't want to live cloistered away in the suburbs, with neighbors who all look just like me and have padded lives, savings accounts, and private school educated kids. This just isn't a part of my vision for doing life. I also don't want to live right now amongst people who look just like me-young professionals who (for the most part) leech off of the community, land, and culture for what they can get out of it. I want to live somewhere that I can give back, and make a difference. Additionally, I want to have neighbors who aren't coming from my background, maybe aren't college educated, and might have experienced some great hardships. We can learn so much from people who have such varied backgrounds. I'm excited that my dreams are becoming a reality. Weeks from now I may feel strained by my new surroundings, and even discouraged by my endeavors to get involved; but right now i'm excited to step out. Comfort zone? Forget about it.