Last winter, I received an Adventure Scholarship from Flyin’ Ryan. This scholarship was used to help fund my 6-week cross-country road trip. But several months later I realize it has done way more than that. The scholarship gave me the opportunity to live the dream that I had been imagining. After getting back home I realized that I needed to make some life changes and move out west. I am writing from Colorado.

“A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.”

As kids we were always trying new things and stepping out of our comfort zones. The older we get the easier and more convenient it becomes to stay put and avoid change. But we need to step outside those comfort zones to grow and learn.

At the end of June I stepped out of my comfort zone to move cross-country for a job in order to advance my career the way I want to see it going. I left family friends and ten years of memories in Vermont- it’s not easy, but I have Kit (my dog) to keep me company and to talk to when I get lonely. I have had to make new friends, meet lots of new people, and remember lots of people’s names. Sometimes I’m so excited for this change I can’t contain my excitement and other times I wish I stayed. But it’s that leap of faith that I know will work out and I just need to keep reminding myself of that.

I have to think back to my childhood where everything is scary and new and just go with it, not afraid to fail but encouraged to LIVE. I am so very proud to be a member of the Flyin’ Ryan Team. The goal of this scholarship is to EXPOSE adventurers to Ryan’s Principles for Living. INSPIRE adventurers to craft their own set of core principles for living and to ACT on their core principles as the means through which they shape their attitude and engage in life.

This winter I am going to be spending and living my first winter “out west” learning to love, respect and appreciate new and big mountains. I also have more time to freelance write, which is my passion in life. I like to think of myself as a dynamic human being, with a passion and love for the mountains and skiing. I love living every minute of every day from taking the time to explore outdoors to taking time to write about all of my experiences. I always find a way to spend time in nature every single day.

If I ever feel lost with how things are going in life I stop and read through Ryan’s Core Principles to remind myself of what I am doing and why.