the show must go on

Some of my best memories as a little kid come from summer camp. Every year, I would anxiously await the day I could finally head off to camp in search of new adventures. Soccer camp, Girl Scout camp, Camp Olson- I did it all, and loved every second of it. 

As a little girl, it's safe to say that I wanted to be like my big sister. Cute, I know. We're actually completely opposite, but that didn't stop me from wanting to try everything that she did while still balancing everything that I loved to do. Anyway, one summer my sister went to an acting camp and absolutely loved it. Me being the annoying sister that I was, immediately decided that I had to try it as well. Luckily, one of my friends from school was also in the camp with me, giving me someone else to dive into it with me. I quickly realized how fun acting, dancing, and singing can be while surrounded by about 20 other random kids. Back then, it was easy to let loose, be silly, and carefree even in front of people I barely knew. By the end, we were all pretty much best friends. 

Fast forward a couple years (or seven) to my sophomore year of college. I thought I could return to acting and be the same free-spirited girl as I was in the acting camps years ago. Not quite. This semester I decided to take an acting class because I wanted to switch it up a bit (aka I wanted a GPA boost). The first day of class I swear people probably thought I was a mute. I was scared to death. Um, since when have I been shy in front of people? I'm usually the girl who starts talking to random people on the street just for fun, or who starts dancing just for the heck of it. Honestly, I'm surprised I have friends. 

But back to the first day of class... How was it that I could be so outgoing with friends but so uncomfortable in front of people I didn't know? And how is it that I was terrified to do anything that first day, but years ago I wouldn't think twice about performing in front of others? 

Basically, I care wayyy too much about what other people think. As we grow older, we get so caught up in fitting in and are concerned about how other perceive us. It's easy to be confident and outgoing when you're surrounded by friends, but when you don't have that support system, it's a little harder to put yourself out there. As weird as it sounds, I'm so glad I took this class because it's forced me out of my comfort zone, something that I'm sure will happen many, many more times in life. Already I can tell that I will learn so much more about myself by simply doing something out of the ordinary. Obviously I won't be starring in any Broadway musicals or Hollywood movies any time soon, just the show I like to call my life.