I have a love-hate relationship with the word “YOLO.” I hate the role it plays in pop culture and the justification it gives young kids trying too hard to be cool. I hate that I often get it mixed up with the frozen yogurt chain I love so dearly. The fact that I just validated it by even calling it a word makes me hate it more, and if you ever use it seriously in a sentence, I will seriously judge you.
However, despite all the public animosity, I will admit that I am having a secret love affair with YOLO. I have searched far and wide for another word that more perfectly describes my attitude during my time abroad, but I simply cannot. It’s maddening. I tried saying, “solo se vive una vez” (“you only live once” in Spanish) a few times, but it just didn’t have the same ring to it. Therefore, I have reluctantly given up and accepted the YOLO inside of me. And you know what? I have grown to love the YOLO.
I’ve always known that I lie a little more on the reckless side of the spectrum of behavior, but it wasn’t until I went abroad that I realized just how much this affects my life and the decisions I make. While others have hesitated at stepping outside their comfort zones, I have charged across mine without ever looking back. Have I inadvertently put myself in some risky situations? Probably. But as unbelievable as it may sound, I am incredibly grateful. Some of my most memorable and rewarding experiences have been the unforeseen results of some of my most adventurous (some may say crazy) decisions. For example, I hiked through the pitch-black mountains of Galicia at 2am in search of a 1200 year-old church and cemetery and was rewarded with the clearest and most humbling view of the stars I have ever seen (shout-out to the other members of our group that helped calm my irrational fear of the dark). I “attempted to fit in” at the topless beach in the Canary Islands and subsequently swam out to a rock in the middle of the bay; while floating by myself far out in the water, I witnessed the most picturesque sunset and had the most liberating (literally) experience of my life. Visiting somebody I met for a few hours at Oktoberfest, I travelled alone to Austria where I ended up seeing three different countries in one day with someone I now consider a close friend. I even tried the Galician “pulpo” or octopus (I have provided a picture so you can understand how traumatizing of an experience it was).
Before each of these experiences a moment occurred in which I questioned whether or not it’d be safe, smart or acceptable to continue. My friends would play devil’s advocate or try and talk me out of it and there’d be that nagging voice in my head saying, “Aly. You’re an idiot.” But every time I weighed the pros and cons and simply responded with: “Whatever. YOLO.” To me, YOLO is today’s embodiment of the cliché, “live everyday like it’s your last.” Sorry for being the bearer of bad news, but we only have a limited amount of time to be young, abroad, and in college. Don’t you want to look back on these years knowing you made the most of every second? Each day is an opportunity to do something new, wild, meaningful, or worthwhile. So don’t be afraid to get a little dirty, let your hair down, skip out on sleep, break a rule or two, and have some fun with life. You’ll realize that life is beautiful and there are endless possible ways to enjoy it. To help, I’ve narrowed down 5 easy ways to responsibly personify YOLO:
1. Trust your gut. The best advice my dad has ever given me is, “Trust your gut and go with your first instinct. It’s usually right.” From taking the SAT to problems with past boyfriends, Papa Breuer has shared this piece of wisdom with me for a variety of issues. I mention this here because even the craziest of the adrenaline junkies should have reasonable limits to prevent themselves from doing something over-the-top dangerous. I may not be as well acquainted with your figurative gut as my dad is with mine, but I’m confident that you all think logically enough to know when something is truly dangerous or actually safe. Seeking advice from friends can be helpful, but in the end no one knows your capabilities and limitations or the details of your situation like you do. Go with your gut.
2. Constantly expand your comfort zone and never get too comfortable. I like to think of a comfort zone as a giant bubble like the one in The Boy in the Plastic Bubble or Bubble Boy. It’s always surrounding you, preventing anything bad from happening to you but also taking away your ability to fully experience or interact with the world. True, you’re safe from the disorder and danger of the outside, but is that really living? The more you expand your bubble, the more you able to do. Never get too comfortable, and never stop exploring.
3. Don’t be afraid of being afraid. Everything is at least a little scary the first time you do it. This is my favorite part of trying something new. Feeling the adrenaline of going on some unknown adventure and knowing that you’re exposing yourself to a higher level of risk can become almost addictive. Conquering your fear is a rush that can’t be compared to any other feeling.
4. Sleep is for dead people. This one is pretty self-explanatory. Every trip I’ve gone on with friends has been spent with early mornings and late nights, trying to squeeze in the most adventures we can possibly do in the little time we have. As I said before, make the most of every day and don’t waste a minute.
5. Going solo is the way to go. Sometimes the fun in finding a new adventure is doing so alone. Relying on yourself not only helps you grow more independent, but it also teaches you a lot about yourself and your capabilities. As much as I love my friends, it is also nice to fully immerse yourself in something new without any other distractions (this goes for social media as well)!
Parts of this post may or may not contain questionable advice. I can’t decide your limits or dictate what you’re comfortable with. I’m only sharing what has been successful for me in my quest to do as much as possible in my time abroad. Maybe you’ll learn to embrace the YOLO inside of you, maybe you won’t. But if you take any piece of advice from this post, let it be to try at least one thing you would have never expected yourself to do, surprise yourself, and live your life by these famous words from Mark Twain: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Photo: 1