Walking the Knife Edge

Hi Readers,

Today I read a BBC news story. Just 2 weeks after we came back safely from Kilimanjaro, an Irish climber was killed by lightning on the exact same path that we took. This is an experienced climber who has done Mt. Everest before, yet his experience couldn't protect him from an unpredictable danger. It is an ever present reminder of the fragility of life, especially balanced on the knife edge between excitement and prudence.

I consider myself supremely lucky to have survived all that I have tried in life without any serious physical injuries. I have learned to silence that nagging voice in the back of my head when I'm planning something, because I know that if I really think it over, I will most likely not follow through with the plan. However, oftentimes, I fully realize the dangerous situation that I put myself into when I'm actually there and doing it. Kilimanjaro was an example, but perhaps the worst example in recent memory is actually Pico de Orizaba, in Mexico. We had no guide there, no support, and little experience. Something really bad could've happened to us there.

I have felt uncomfortable with traveling with GS sometimes, because we tend to be over confident in our abilities, and underestimate the dangers that may be present. In order to 'live the life', I've often had to silence my common sense and instinctive reaction to a suggestion. I am normally a very pragmatic person, prone to overthinking things (my parents says it is a family trait). This new way of approaching opportunities had led me to explore spontaneity, and opened more of the world to me than I ever thought I would see. But I must always remember to keep a reserve force of caution in order to truly evaluate the choices that are in front of me.

When I tell people this, they often resort to the "well people can die from anything at anytime" argument. While true, the situational risk is not an insignificant part of it. Though one could probably be struck my lightning at anytime anywhere, walking through thick rain clouds on Kilimanjaro probably increases the risk by quite a bit. My parents have always been worriers, so slowly I've had to start hiding the full story from them. But I can definitely feel myself growing reckless in the past year. Booking spontaneous trips to foreign countries, attempting to summit mountains without proper knowledge of the routes or obstacles which might lie ahead for us, are both not smart decisions.

I need to be more careful of what I take on. I can't let my parent's contributions and sacrifices for me go to waste. I can't lose my future just for some adrenaline rush. 

Off to the safari tomorrow! Can't believe I'm returning to the states in a week. Freaking unbelievable.

Cheers,
FCDH