By Seth Langbauer, KEEN contributor

Saying yes seems easy. We’ve all tried to be that person who says “yes” to every opportunity. However, in reality, it can be incredibly hard. How do you constantly embrace the unknowns of saying yes? How do you plan for what happens after you say yes? The answer for me is you can’t, and it’s stressful, but it’s worth a shot.

About two months ago, I got a call from my friend Jody while I was packing for a climbing trip. Over the phone, she told me she was about to race a rickshaw (aka a tuk-tuk) 2,500 kilometers across India and just had her teammate cancel. She was calling me to convince me to go.

I knew I had to say yes before I had time to truly think about one of the million reasons not to go. Saying yes is simple; it’s the doing that is the hard part. When I thought about what going to India for nearly a month and a half would mean, it was even harder. I had four days to get a plane ticket, a visa, pack, and square away life chores for the upcoming month, not to mention bail on my climbing trip. I thought about all I would need to do as I said, “Give me until tonight. I’ll give you an answer by six.”

I knew I would be going. India is one of the places I will never say no to. I spent my high school years living there and had not been back since. The thought of getting lost in the masses of people and overwhelming onslaught of commotion was exhilarating.

“WHEN YOU SAY YES, YOU’RE NOT ONLY FORCED TO COMMIT TO THE UNKNOWN, BUT TO RELY ON COMMUNITY, STRANGERS, AND LUCK.”