In just one week I am venturing up north to spend my summer in the magnificant city of New York. It is a place with several aspects of familiarity, but one I have never spent a long period of time in. It will certainly be a change of scenery from the slower paced, tree-lined streets of the suburban town I have lived in my whole life. This can only mean one thing; I'll experience more opportunities to step out of my comfort zone than I ever have before.

This is exciting and nerve-racking all a the same time. This summer is a chance to learn the ins and outs of a different city, make new friends, and network my way into that ever-daunting thing people call the "real world". Doing all of this on my own is the exciting part. Paving a path for myself in a city I have admired for years is a dream come true. There are endless opportunities to explore in a city as big as New York, and it is something to take advantage of.

There's also a twinge of nerves that creeps in at the thought of being confronted with new experiences and trying to navigate through them on my own. It is intimidating to take on a new adventure by yourself. The amount of "what if's" that have invaded my mind for how various situations could go wrong are endless, but again, it's all about learning from the rights and the wrongs of an outcome. There is also something that is a little exciting about being nervous though. It means that there are new ways to do things that are not a part of your current everyday life, and experiencing how a different city lives and works expands a person's horizons leaps and bounds.

As excited and ready as I feel to tackle this adventure I can think of a number of ways that I will experience unfamiliarity as the summer progresses. With each unfamiliar experience I will trade my nerves and apprehensiveness for bravery and curiosity to ensure I can get the most out of every opportunity there is to be grasped. I think being forced into something like stepping out of your comfort zone is one of the most crucial things to get what you want out of a new experience. If we stayed comfortable all the time there would rarely be a fresh outlook on some thing or new skill gained.

Here's to a summer of exploring the streets of a new city and making the most out of all the opportunities that arise!