Hot Turkey

Deep breath, deep breath, I thought. Panic and anticipation ran frozen through my veins. Andrea stood beside me, a plush green alligator atop her head. Thank God we switched hats. So this is where my little blu sandals were taking me? TEN THOUSAND feet outside of my comfort zone?! The exercise our Writing Camp Teachers had prepared for the day was doing things outside of our comfort zones and writing about them. How ironic. The very day after I decide to embrace the unknown I am told to walk around Atlanta in a turkey hat. I suppose it's my own fault. I wrote down in my journal for the class yesterday that I was uncomfortable doing loud, crazy, and weird things in public. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Our teacher had given us five dollars; Andrea and I were to walk two blocks down to Caribou Coffee, order something, and talk to at least two people along the way. COMPLETELY out of my comfort zone. But wearing my sandals, all I could think to do was not look in a mirror and laugh it all off. Andrea and I told stories and giggled all the way, making awkward small talk with every passer by. Comments such as, "That must be hot," "I love your hats!" and "You having a bad day or something?" floated all around us. The thing I found most interesting from the whole experience... was that I enjoyed it. It seemed that being in something like a disguise set my outgoing, wild side free. I was more willing to talk to strangers and do something unorthodox. BONUS MATERIAL: I laid on the floor blind folded, with earplugs for 20 minutes in utter silence. It has to be one of the strangest experiences I have ever had. After your brain calms down, it's like being in a false sense of dreaming - like being on drugs without harming yourself. It's an out of body experience where you feel the stillness. I encourage all to try this one-day. I also tried Pad Thai for dinner. Going to a Thai restaurant for the first time was quite enjoyable - the spicier the noodles, the better.