Sunday, February 13, 2011

Project Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You, Day 2

Yesterday's challenge was to send an e-mail in French to sign up for a potentially uncomfortably awkward social situation. I sent my e-mail, and then rewarded myself with an Oreo. I'm big on self-rewarding. Especially with Oreos. By 8:30 pm I still hadn't heard anything, and thought maybe the hike had been cancelled or there was no more space left, and that I would be off the hook. But then I received this e-mail:

Ok pour toi. Par contre, le rdv est avancé à 7h30 au local de l'ESMUG, vers la piscine universitaire.
Tu vois où c'est?
Si problème téléphone moi
<---(HAHA. Telephone someone. In French. That's funny)


In case you didn't get that, it basically translates to: Ok for you to come. Meet at 7:30

Half excitement and half apprehension, I packed my stuff and set my alarm clock for 6:00 am (gulp).

Which leads me to today's one thing that scares me: go hiking with a group of people I'd never met before AND be required to speak French the entire time. Does that count for two? I think it should. No? Fine.

Here's why it scared me:

1. I'd have to get up at 6:00 am. Just kidding. Sort of.
2. I would have to speak French. The potential for making an idiot of myself substantially increases when I'm required to speak French.

And aside from a minor fear of falling to my death, that was it really.

Hm. Interesting that my fear of speaking French seems to supersede my fear of falling to my death.

I'll write about it in more detail tomorrow, but facing up to my anxiety paid off. I had an amazing time with some great people, enjoyed France's spectacular mountains, and stumbled my way through enough French to satisfy myself that yes, it is slow going, but I am learning a lot.

So today's tally is:
Me: 2
Fear: 0

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