At a younger age, I would have answered as someone who prefers familiarity; the world seems quite scary when navigating new environments. I knew that I would not have to worry about not liking something or enjoying it if I stuck to what I knew. Staying in my bubble provided me with a sense of comfort that I was not willing to step out of. However, as I have grown and experienced new things, I’ve come to realize that I unconsciously programmed myself to embrace change with enthusiasm. Approaching life this way has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and try new things that I now love to do or be in.
One’s upbringing definitely plays a role in how someone decides to carry out their life and, more specifically, whether an individual feels comfortable enough to step into the unknown and embrace change. For example, if someone like a parent has never shown their child that change is good and stays stuck in their ways, many times children will also adopt this outlook in life. Though that's not to say there is something wrong with feeling comfortable in something someone is familiar with. However, I believe that to grow as individuals, we must put ourselves in new environments, challenge ourselves, and enter uncomfortable atmospheres. Without this fundamental rule being implemented in one's life, an individual could possibly miss out on experiencing something that can become a part of that familiarity.
One big and exciting change that I faced was deciding to attend college on the East Coast, without having visited before. Although I was extremely nervous, I was more excited to embrace a new chapter in my life. I understood that by stepping out of what I have known, I was opening up new possibilities, and to me that provided assurance that what I was doing was indeed the right choice. Obviously, no one truly knows what's to be unleashed when entering change, but realizing that you will benefit from these changes helps tremendously. Through embracing change, I have made lifelong friendships and have gotten to know myself outside of that protective bubble of familiarity.