On Instagram today:

Friday night rambles – When I was 19 I flew to Rome, by myself, to study abroad for the summer. I didn’t know one person going. On my long flight I had a moment of panic, worried I wouldn’t make a friend and the trip would be a bust. It wasn’t a bust. I felt so bold and fearless and it was one of the best things I’ve done for myself. Now we load up our car and drive our kids to the literal middle of nowhere for weeks of adventure, which is another kind of fearless. Crazy story – Death Valley has miles and miles and MILES of the worst-rattle-your-brain-washboard roads ever. We made it to the Racetrack and got out and explored for an hour or so. When we got back to the car it wouldn’t start. David, cool as a cucumber, worked his way through all of the systems and found a battery cable that had rattled itself loose as a result of the crappiest roads there ever were. After a few minutes of “why the heck are we here, we’re going to have to hike miles to find someone to drive us to cell service”, he fixed it and we were on our way. Props to David for being a general boss and always keeping our fearlessness grounded. It’s all fun and games until our friends have to rescue us and we shall never live it down. Rome, Death Valley, it’s all the same…beautiful things are outside of our comfort zone and we’ll always come out on top as long as we stay fearless.