An Unexpected Turn of Events

Often times what stops us from having unforgettable moments is our fear. I used to be someone who would pick up a backpack and a one-way ticket to countries that I’ve never been for months at a time. I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t speak the language. I wasn’t fearless. I was young.

It was before the time of the internet and cellphone. The travel information I can get on my destinations was limited to guidebooks. I had to figure out as I went. Now with so much information readily available at our fingertips, I can know almost everything about my destinations before I get there, which is nice. Surprises are not always fun, but sometimes that’s when you encounter something memorable.

When I was invited to a Women’s Wellness Weekend at YMCA Camp Seymour, I initially didn’t even consider going. Three days is a heck a lot of days to be spending with people that are not in my immediate circle of friends. (I’m a total introvert, in case you are wondering.) But I knew if I were to be completely honest with myself, it was fear that was stopping me from saying yes. I didn’t want to become someone who is paralyzed by my own fear, so I convinced myself that this was an opportunity for me to get outside of my comfort zone.

There I was, driving almost 2 hours in rainy Friday traffic, and made it to the very end of the dinner time. And no, I did not go to the dance party later that night..

The following morning, I woke up to the sound of rain, which I still love after many days of rain in Seattle. By the way, the sound of the rain was a part of the inspiration for “Pebbles and Drops”. I took a nice morning walk with a friend, shot some arrows, tiptoed up and down in a barre class, and made my own all-natural henna mix, all in one day! I felt pretty good about myself for trying all these new things. Now, it was time to relax.

I started showing one of my friends how to do Zentangle at the dining hall. Then my other friends showed up and decided to join us. While we are tangling away, an instructor who was teaching an earlier art class stopped by and asked me if she could try. Sure, why not? Other campers walked by our table and asked if they could join us too. Sure! I ended up having an  impromptu Zentangle class. I love sharing about Zentangle with my friends even though I can’t officially teach Zentangle until I get my certification. I may go back to the camp next year as one of the official volunteer instructors.

As I explained in my old post, Zentangle is something that you have to experience. At the beginning, none of them were entirely sure what they got themselves into. But as we progressed, each of them found their own rhythm and was entirely absorbed in what they were drawing. Even though the finished artwork is just a bonus in Zentangle, look at the beautiful work they did! None of them had any previous Zentangle experience. Thank you Cindy, Kam, Marie, Danitra, Anna, Meagan and Maria for your willingness to let me teach.

What did I learn from this unexpected turn of events? When you open yourself to the world, the world opens itself to you.