Nation2Nation

"Do one thing everyday that scares you." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Feb 19, 2013 (continued)

When I got back to my dorm I got several blog posts uploaded and started writing about the adventures of today. The building was all a buzz with the Nation2Nation Party tonight.

Let me take a minute to explain this Nation2Nation (N2N) event. N2N is a group not only affiliated with the university but across Europe that puts on parties for exchange students and locals to get to know each other. Each party is themed after a different country and they travel around the city from club to club, hosting one N2N each week.

I am going to be around alcohol. I am going to be around drugs. I am going to be walking around a large metropolitan city at night.

My stomach feels like it is about to explode. The whole party idea makes me uncomfortable. I am terrified.

I don’t party back home. I went to a club one time and it was a human behavior experiment for a research project in an English class. I guess when I break a party down, I like all of the things that go into it. I like meeting people. I like music. I like hanging out. I suppose the big hang up for me is the alcohol.

Everyone says it’s the strong alcohol content (some the Prague beer comes in anywhere from 10%-25% alcohol) but really I don’t like the taste of it. Not to mention, the little bit I’ve had here makes me feel real groggy and depressed. I’ve never tried alcohol back home, and each time I’ve explained to people, I don’t drink, they’ve understood. It’s just makes me nervous going to this tonight. I suppose being sober will allow me to report back on what I see. I just worry that I’m going to stick out like a sore thumb as the only un-intoxicated person in the room.

But I suppose the fact it makes me uncomfortable is part of the reason I feel like I have to do it. Just two weeks ago, the idea of even being in Prague made me uncomfortable. I remember the terrified feeling. I remember the anxiety attacks. But I also remember that voice inside my head that I heard on the plane. I remember it telling me, “Say no to the fear.”

So I’m going to give it a try tonight. I’m going to go yet another zillion miles outside of my comfort zone to see what happens. I know it’s another great opportunity to grow. I look forward to reporting back to let you know what happens.