Have you ever wanted to do something that you worried would seem ridiculous to other people? Or maybe it seemed impossible, risky, or just weird. “Find Your Tribe” is one slogan I hear – generally meaning to go find the people who are like you or have the same passions as you. I love that idea, however, don’t discount the people already around you until you’ve really given them a chance.

I am an introvert and tend to worry about what other people think. I assume that people in my life – coworkers, family, friends – will expect me to stay the same “me” and keep doing the same things. It can be unsettling when people close to us no longer fit our image of them. Also, we don’t want our loved ones to be hurt, and change can mean taking a risk. But I’ve been genuinely surprised at the support I’ve received when I’ve opened up and shared my aspirations.

The biggest example that comes to mind is when I had a long-distance relationship with a man from Nepal. And I do mean LONG distance. If you pick up a globe with one index finger on Houston and the other on Nepal, they are pretty much on the opposite sides of the world. When I opened up and told some friends at a party (basically anyone who was in the kitchen at that moment) that I was longing to drop everything here and go live in Nepal, they supported me without blinking. “I’ll help you pack” was one immediate comment. Another woman said I could stay at her condo after I got back while I looked for a new job (if necessary). As it turned out, a different friend invited me to stay with her while I apartment-hunted when I got back.

“But what if the opposite happens?” you ask. Fine, let the people actually say the hurtful things rather than have you put the words into their mouths in your fearful fantasies. You have to eliminate the possibility that you are just using these imaginings as an excuse to hold yourself back. Even my boss and coworkers were excited for me and helped me any way they could, even though it meant more work for them while I was gone.

Regrets? I should have taken the one friend up on her offer to help pack, as I was moving my belongings to storage the same day I flew to Nepal, and it was a hectic day. Although it was an incredible adventure and I ended up marrying my Nepalese boyfriend, that outpouring of support in the kitchen will always be one part of the experience that I remember most.