I've always been independent, but I find that willingness to court risks in this arena is high across the board. Clearly I'm more than happy to travel outside of my comfort zone, whether it's domestic, international, or merely a new neighborhood in Chicago. Going alone no longer phases me. I got in some good test drives while traveling for business, then sort of went straight for the main event with my solo endeavor in Costa Rica. And heading out for a long period of time, while not always idea, isn't the end of the world.
That's where the line starts to blur. Permanent relocation to a new land, domestic or international, makes me more squeamish as I get older. Starting over takes patience and a lot of effort. As I start to sink comfortably into the people and places that I know, there's less drive to reinvent my life every few years (something I notoriously yearned for in my college days and early/mid-twenties).
Which leads me to another fear, social fear. The desire to want to meet new people laced with the fear of imposing your slightly awkward/quirky self on them. I'm still pretty hopeless in a large social setting dominated by people I don't know. Therefore, moving to a new city solo is a rather daunting task. With age, I also find friendship to be a trickier path to forge, because you have to navigate the husband/wife/children inclusions.
In a slightly oxymoronic way, I have checked my fear at the door when it comes to one-on-one interaction with someone I've never met. There are many instances, especially in 2012, where this new level of openness has been fortuitous and/or valuable. Maybe those events have piggybacked on one another to mitigate my fear.
Some risks seem to feel augmented with maturity and concern for my health or life. I'm positive that my average speed limit has decreased over the past ten years. Alcohol intake is generally mild to moderate. My nighttime awareness on city streets and public transit is very attuned. Cheap thrills, like skydiving and roller coasters, seem less appealing and more dangerous.
While other risks just seem to become laughable or negligible. Trying new foods is unlikely to cause any lasting harm or cost me much, either in monetary or non-monetary terms. Hence, I've taste-tested sushi twice in the past week. (Verdict is still out.) Asking questions turns out to be a pretty common activity that most people don't judge you over. And trial and error seems to be a much quicker way to mount the learning curve. As it turns out, the errors are rarely life shattering and people don't begrudge you for them.
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