Stepping Out

I definitely have a comfort zone that I fall into quite often. Friends tease that I'm always visiting the same spots for pictures or driving to a further store instead of exploring similar options closer to my house. My parents probably worry that I don't eat enough vegetables or general variety because I have a small catalogue of familiar recipes that I repeat on a near weekly basis. When faced with social situations and meeting new people I always default to telling people I'm an introvert and awkward, but that's just a way of setting up low social standards instead of making more of an effort to get out of my shell. I have excuses ready for every one of my comfort zones and they're legitimate in their own way. I am an introvert, so parties exhaust me. Cooking new recipes in appropriate portions for one person can be tricky and I hate wasting food. I've only just lived in Pennsylvania for a year now and switched from one house to a second in that period, so I'm still getting to know the area and it can be intimidating to wander through very abandoned locations by yourself. There are reasons we do the things we do repeatedly, but there are also reasons to branch out. So, I spend hours on tastespotting, say "yes" to invitations from friends before I have a chance to unnerve myself, and get advice on places to visit. Baby steps.
Style-wise I also hate this idea of a comfort zone. I want friends saying "wow that's new" rather than questioning, "have I seen that before..?" Because usually they have seen it before--in a different color or fabric. I know what I feel good in, things I think flatter my shape and will be worn again and again. It's a good thing knowing yourself, but part of the trick is to realize your tendencies so you can fight against them every so often. Enter this dress by Milly. It was on sale and I largely think I bought it because it didn't look like anything else in my closet...and I hoped the green/teal part would match my hair perfectly. I was off by a couple of shades on the color, but the dress does feel drastically different than my usual style. And since I'm completely self-conscious in it and overly aware of each part that could use some personal tailoring, it's safe to say I'm out of my comfort zone.