by Dr Bibiana Chan
One of the petals of the Community Flower Studio’s icon is ‘Growth’. In my experience, when you dare take yourself out of the comfort zone (assuming you are taking calculated risks), you most likely will experience personal growth (read more about the ‘Growth Mindset developed by Dr Carol Dweck here)! This will be valuable experience to cherish for a long time. This is my story.
Personal Growth
I attended a personal development course in 1999 and learned about self-love, self-care, and assertive communication. This helped me ‘find myself,’ who had been lost in a deep depressive episode. I also learned risk assessment and became aware of my triggers that could send me down the dark pit (a relapse of clinical depression) again.
New Year Resolution
Every year I like to make a new year resolution. One year, I challenged myself to get out of my comfort zone and learn a new skill. I signed up for a ‘Stand-up Comedian’ short course at a community college.
Multi-day Hike
I enjoy traveling and organized my first solo DIY overseas trip to Tokyo, Japan, in 2005. I enjoyed it so much that I never went back to join a tour group. I visited Istanbul, Turkey, after attending a mental health conference in Athens, Greece. I planned a trip with a friend to visit a few cities in Spain and Lisbon, Portugal, in 2017. However, carrying my own personal belongings in a backpack (weighing approximately 8 – 9 kg) to go on a multi-day hike was not something I could have imagined. I did just that in 2018, trekking 54 km on the Milford Sound Track in the South Island of New Zealand. Climbing up to the highest point of the track, McKinnon Pass, at 1156 m above sea level, was rewarding. The beautiful view from the top, looking down the valleys, was spectacular!
Bring on the Challenge
I returned to the South Island, New Zealand, in 2019 and trekked the Grand Transverse track (the combined Green Stone and Routeburn Track) in extreme weather for 6 days! I was soaking wet from top to bottom for a couple of days! I straddled over mini-waterfalls in knee-height water. I almost had to get a replacement passport as it was damaged by the pouring rain! Looking back, I wonder whether I would be able to do this again!
Walk the Milford Sound Track One More Time
COVID-19 interrupted the return to my favorite place for hiking. Finally, I flew to Queenstown, NZ, at the end of Jan 2024 to walk the Milford Sound Track again. My 2018 trip was fantastic, except the weather was too hot, and I missed the mysterious scene of the low clouds covering the mountain peaks. Just an excuse for me to challenge myself again, physically and mentally, 6 years later.
Step-by-step Training to Prepare for the Walk
In order to walk with an 8 kg backpack up and down steep slopes, I did training walks along some of my favourite bushwalk tracks in Sydney. I carried a backpack full of soft drinks. I gradually increased the load to 8 kg. Two weeks before I was due to fly to Queenstown, I walked 20 km each day with a full 8 kg backpack for 3 days. I thought I was well-prepared! The day I walked up to MacKinnon Pass, I was very proud of myself. On my way down, my left knee acted up. I slowed down to avoid overworking my problematic knee. The next day was a 21 km walk, described by the guide as ‘Kiwi flat’ (another way of saying it is not flat). I ‘soldiered’ on with the determination to complete the final leg of this incredible Milford Sound Track. I sang the song ‘I think I can’ in my mind!
I literally took myself out of the comfort zone! My left knee is now out of discomfort after some good rest. I am so glad I walked the Milford Sound Track a second time!