Throughout preparing for the Odyssey Course, there were many unknowns and anxieties to process and consider. Never having done a course like this, or having to rely on my classmates for support in any setting other than the classroom, it was easy to consider Challenge by Choice and opt out and save myself a lot of stress. Even though I had some uncertainty, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and engage fully by participating in the course and a learning experience in an environment that I knew was specifically designed to keep me safe. As a result of this course, I learned a lot about processing as a group and working through some of my personal boundaries. Upon arriving to the course, I noticed many of my classmates were utilizing …show more content…
I am a control freak, and typically avoid situations where I have little to no control at all costs, challenge by choice was comforting because it added a level of control to the situation that made me feel comfortable with participating. Not only did this help me to feel like I had some control, but knowing that every single person on the course was participating by choice, whether they were scared or not, helped me to feel confident in those who I was depending on for support. Along with not liking to feel out of control, I tend to be uncomfortable with touching other people or people touching me, I knew that by choosing to participate, I was choosing to push my comfort level and challenge myself. It seems like a small thing, but for me to actively put myself in a situation that not only promoted, but required relying on having physical contact with my classmates was something that helped me to grow and something I may have opted out of not too long ago. It was comforting to know that I was able to voice these concerns with my group members without judgment and my group members reassured me throughout the course that they were proud of me for stepping outside of my normal bubble and to allow not only myself, but the whole group of 4 to grow and learn together. Throughout the course,