Adventures

I feel like this trip that we're planning to China to get Keira is such an adventure in the making. And the truth is, unless you're a dare-devil extraordinaire, you don't get a lot of adventure in your everyday life. I know we don't (shrugs shoulders). At any rate, I'm really looking forward to it, but even my adoption buddies can tell you how my hubby's face light up when he talks about going to China with me next year. He absolutely comes alive. He's been and he loved it then and has wanted to return ever since. Now, knowing that I've seen almost nothing of the "world" outside of California and Texas, he is even more jazzed up about it - because he feels like it's an adventure for us - not only to be parents, but to see the world together. An amazing country rich in culture and beauty and history (and, well there's the fact that our daughter lives there...).

AB grew up in Indonesia. He was a missionary kid and literally lived in the jungle (among the bush and the tribe people) for several years with his parents and sister. Their family is all back on suburbian ground, but still count those years and Indonesia as some of the best of their lives. Of all the places they have all lived, Indonesia is what they miss the most. Can you imagine that? Maybe you can. But I can't. I've never lived outside of Suburbia...ok, well there was this one time, if you count living in the country like a farmer girl...but that was really safe and normal. Cows and chickens, etc.

So I married this amazing guy who not only can cook like nobody's business, but is extremely intelligent and soooo book smart, is wonderful with children (specialty = middle school age (gag...can you even imagine that!?!?!) and is a world traveler/dweller. He speaks (or could if he really wanted to, but doesn't) three languages - English, Dutch, and Indonesian - and he just knows stuff. That's why I married him...because he's hot and he knows stuff. Please don't ask why he married me...I'm still figuring that one out.

My point is - my husband of adventures married a girl of no adventures. So I started digging...have I ever taken an adventure? Something that was out of my comfort zone and tested my ability to let lose and have fun and face my fears...

Well I came up with one. I know that's lame. One. But it's still one to say that I have done. Now, here's the preface: I have an irrational fear of water. Bodies of water in particular, meaning the ocean or large rivers. I don't like sea-life. It scares me...a lot...I mean...a lot. Revealing something about myself that I would rather take to my grave, I have such a fear of sea-life, that I have an unnatural fear of shadows in a swimming pool because in my mind...it's a whale swimming over. I know it's not. I realize there is no whale in my mom's pool. It's just...I can't convince myself to be comfortable when the sun started setting and there are shadows cast over the pool. Especially if I'm diving under water and look down and see the shadow on the bottom of the pool. Sends off the alarm...I'm over and out like a walkie-talkie. Great...so now that you have the background, and now that you think I'm a complete lunatic...I should also tell you that at 14 years old on a youthgroup trip to the ocean in Santa Cruz, California, I almost drowned in the ocean and had my youth pastor not seen a wave take me under and swim out and literally pull me up - I still have no idea how he did that - I would not be here writing this story. Now, while I was under...I was literally feeling my life go. I got hit in the back of the head by this enormous wave....pushed under the water and swirling around...all around me was this black water, that is to say, you couldn't see at all. I was turned all around and could not find my way up. Even though there were bubbles everywhere from the wave rushing by, I was pushed down and I just couldn't find my way up. It was such a moment of panic. I thought...this can't be it...I can't drown...I just can't! Around that time, a hand grabbed my arm and up I went...sputtering and coughing and colapsing back on shore to gain my breath and calm my shaking limbs.

Well, I hadn't gone back into the ocean since that day. I had waded in...a little. Walked up and down a sandy shore...but the chances of going back in the water were just so slim.

Enter my adventure: At 25 - some people from work were organizing a River Raft and I was like "nope...no way...not this girl...not in this lifetime". Well, apparently, I didn't mean that. After much coaxing and prompting and prodding by them, I agreed that I would go as long as no helmets were involved. In my mind, if you had to wear a helmet, it wasn't for beginners. Well, I was wrong, but who cares. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I am not athletic. I do not do sports - (sorry honey!). I do not like water. But somehow, they convinced me and I went. I'm so glad I did. There were times that I thought "If I fall in...just don't let me drown!" But I didn't ever fall in, and I was so pumped the entire time...from the first big wave that we hit...I was sold. It was amazing! If you have never gone whitewater rafting, you have to do it. It's so great...and the water was incredible. We did an all day tour - where you stop a couple times for lunch/snack and a potty break and then head out again. You work your way down the river and at certain times of the year, the water is much more active than others. So of course, as you will see in the pictures below...it was pretty active. At the end of the day, I was tired, aching, and wet...but I was also elated, felt a great sense of accomplishment, and felt I had just had an adventure that I would never forget.

Guess I was right...

More on new Adventures sometime next year...