Radio hosts, craigslist, and dead phones

College is crazy. Full stop. You have midterms, internships, relationships. It’s the whole gambit. And quite frankly it’s terrifying. I know that when I’m uncomfortable I don’t want to say yes, or take chances, but taking chances led me to an amazing two weeks. Saying yes is terrifying but is the same thing that leads to amazing opportunity.

So what do I mean? Saying yes lead to me going to Austin City limits, meeting people I never would, and honestly living my best life.

So what’s the story? That’s the big question right. Well, let me take you back in time.

I was driving to work. In traffic. Two hours of traffic to be exact. It’s soul-sucking. So I decide to actually call into the radio station I’m listening to. That was my first yes. I call in and end up winning a contest for ACL passes. I was quite frankly stoked. It was unbelievable. I won tickets by chance. Who does that? Looking back at it I see why I said yes. Not that many people will even enter a contest. No one really thinks they will win. They disqualify themselves before they even start. So enter that contest or scholarship, or apply for the job. Don’t disqualify yourself.

So now I have these tickets. Well, I’m only one person, so I get on craigslist. It gets a bad rap, but honestly, most people are good. I find a guy willing to trade a weekend pass for a weekend pass and end up getting both weekends for free.  The guy was super nice and everything went really well. So I did this but I also made sure I was safe. I had my best friend on the phone the whole time. She made sure I was safe. She knew where I was. It made sure that me saying yes was still in a safe limit. She let me venture but also kept me safe. So I learned the second lesson. Venture out of your comfort zone, but don’t put yourself in risky situations.

The last lesson I learned came from a woman named Lisa. I was at the festival having a wonderful time and watching Paul McCartney and my phone died. No big deal. Well. After the show, I am trying to walk back to my car. I get lost a big surprise. So I begin to wander around like a lost puppy and end up following this group. They’re supposedly heading to my location so I talk to them. This woman, later revealed to be Lisa, tells me to follow her. She flags down a cab and tells me to jump in. I say yes. We drove to my car and I tell her to hop in with me. She lived on my way home and I couldn’t let her pay for a ridiculous cab fee. So she hopes in and I get her and her friends home. Well, she gives me her number and we end up hanging out. So my third yes let me meeting new people. I am not an outgoing person so just letting a gal get in my car was out there. But it led to me making a connection.

I guess the reason I tell you all this is to say saying yes it leads to great opportunities. It’s not always as crazy as going to a music festival. But It can lead to your next bestie. Or even saying yes to a weird class can lead to a new passion. Just say yes and have a friend that will keep you safe.  But above all else take the chance and just say yes.

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