Scared? Do it!

It's amazing how quickly 2 people can bond over a shared experience.  Last October, I rode down to the Outerbanks with 2 people I didn't know, to meet up with 25 other people I had never met.  On that 3.5 hour car ride, I discovered one of the people in my car, Sarah Nash and I were pretty much twins.  We bonded over having lost 100+ pounds because lets be real, say what you want but to lose that much weight drastically changes your life, your outlook and your life experiences.  From that weekend, I gained a lot of friends but I gained a twin, confidant, someone to push me and be completely random but have so much doing it, a person willing to listen to my nervousness over running a half marathon and completely understanding where I was coming from and most importantly a life long friend. 

This past weekend, Sarah became the newest Mrs. O'Dell and I lost a 4 1/2 month roommate.  It was a fun few months having her live here but I was SO excited for Sarah & Larry to finally tie the knot!  You never know when life is going to throw you an amazing friend.  Was I terrified to go to the beach with 25 strangers?  Heck yes!  Did it turn out to be one of the most fun weekends of that year?  Heck yes!  While Sarah and I initially bonded over weight loss, we also bonded over our desire to be healthy and do things that challenge us (i.e. running a half marathon).  I encourage you to do things that scare you because you never know how amazing it will be on the other side - new friends, new experiences, new memories, new challenges, whatever it may be - it will be worth it.  Now go out there and do something that scares you...just don't forget to have fun!