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Friday Focus: Make adventures be all your fault

Aug. 23, 2024

— By Tracey Martinson, director of Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management

Several years ago, one of my best friends gave me a birthday card with a photo of two old(er) ladies on it. At the top it read “We’ve been through a lot together.” Nice sappy Hallmark greeting, right? But then, right after that, it read “And most of it was your fault.” Can you believe that?

I keep that card hanging up where I can see it regularly because, first of all, it is funny, and second, it reminds me of the importance of trying new things and occasionally getting yourself and your friends and family involved in something that, at the time, maybe doesn’t seem like such a good idea after all. You know, like muddy Spartan™ obstacle races that take 7 hours and a couple dozen burpees to complete. (Well, it wasn’t technically my fault she had to do burpees in the mud with fire ants all around.) Or during another race when we were struggling through knee-deep mud while turkey vultures patrolled overhead... Or like a recent mountain trail running race in the Swiss Alps. My friend didn’t come with me on that one, but I talked my husband into doing it because… well — it’s the Swiss Alps! It was the most challenging race I have ever done -- over 5,600 feet of elevation gain over 17 miles and with the altitude reaching almost 9,000 feet -- but the scenery was worth every step. (You’re welcome, honey.)

So, yeah, I guess most of it has been my fault. But, as we move toward the start of a new school year at ��������, I am reminded of the importance of wandering out of your comfort zone to try new things. I love looking around and seeing the campus abuzz with activity. For me, a new school year always marks a time for setting goals and embarking on a fresh start.

�������� is full of opportunities to explore, whether that is taking a course outside your regular academic realm, checking out a student club, trying an intramural sport for the first time, getting involved in a research project, checking out one of the concerts or plays performed by talented �������� music and theater ensembles, or going on an outdoor adventure with the knowledgeable experts at Nanook Recreation Outdoor Adventures (faculty and staff are welcome, too!). It doesn’t have to be muddy, insanely steep, involve scavenger birds, or something that might make your friends send you snarky birthday cards. There are kinder, gentler ways to explore new things: listening to a different kind of music, tasting some novel cuisines at Dine 49, or reading a genre of book that is not your normal go-to.

Trying new things, no matter how small, stretches our minds as well as our bodies. It gets us out of our routine and injects a bit of that “beginning of the school year” excitement into our lives on a routine basis. It can be challenging to leave our comfort zones — we might be afraid of failing, or of what others might think of us (my inability to hit a golf ball is really quite embarrassing). Sometimes it is just easier to stick with the status quo because, let’s be honest, it is less work that way. In doing so, however, we give up a chance to reinvent ourselves, to stretch and expand our horizons, and to meet new people — all of the things that �������� is about!

So as the summer winds down, I encourage you to think about how to incorporate the “new” into your life. Whether you are a dual enrollment student, a freshman, an early-career staff or faculty member, or a long-time Nanook, take a look around and find ways to inject the “new” into your routine. As some of you already know, I am retiring at the end of the year so this is my last fall as a �������� employee. I have been at �������� for 34 years, first as a graduate student and then as an employee, and have taken full advantage of the opportunities at �������� to learn new things and take on challenges outside my comfort zone. From what I understand, “every day is Saturday” in retirement, but I also know that it is a significant period of change and reinvention of the self. I am looking forward to having more time to try all kinds of things, and to live up to that birthday card by continually coaxing my friends and family to join me. I like it when adventures are all my fault!

Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of ��������'s leadership team every week. On occasion, a guest writer is invited to contribute a column.