February 06, 2004

Friday Five

To try to take my mind off of the stuff happening today, I'm going to do the Friday Five.

1. What's the most daring thing you've ever done?
Daring--that's an interesting word. I can't say I've ever been skydiving or bungee jumping. I think the most daring thing(s) I've done have been picking up and moving to different states where I knew nobody every 2-3 years ever since I graduated high school. I grew up in LA, yet went off to Indiana for school. When that didn't work out, I moved to Michigan to finish school. After that I moved to Missouri for grad school, and after that it was moving to San Jose for work. In each case I knew nobody in the area, yet trusted my own ability to make friends and fit in (better in some places than others). I know a lot of people who have never left their home states, have never lived further than an hour from home, or have never actually left home. I think it takes guts to just pick up and go.

2. What one thing would you like to try that your mother/friend/significant other would never approve of?
I have always wanted to climb Mt. Everest. I think everyone who knows me would be very against this idea. Of course, I don't have the capability of climbing Mt. Everest, but that wasn't part of the question.

3. On a scale of 1-10, what's your risk factor? (1=never take risks, 10=it's a lifestyle)
Well, it depends. I used to be more of a thrill seeker before I got sick. Having this heart condition has really impacted my feeling of safety in the world, and I am much more cautious than I used to be. On the other hand, I'm taking a big risk in moving to Germany (where I don't speak the language) for 6 months, as well as applying to grad school, and not knowing where I'm going to be living (what state even) when our time in Germany is over. Yes, I'll be with Kevin the whole time, but he will be working full time and I'm going to have to find my way in Hamburg on my own. I think that a lot of people would not have the courage to do this.

4. What's the best thing that's ever happened to you as a result of being bold/risky?
I have had some great adventures, met some really cool people (including my husband), and have great memories and stories to tell.

5. ... and what's the worst?
I have ended up in some very hostile places (read: Missouri) and have had some really depressing times.

Overall I can't complain though. I think these questions aren't very good because there's different definitions of risk. One is doing something potentially dangerous or life-threatening, and another is trying something out of your comfort zone like moving somewhere or telling someone that you love them when you're not sure they feel the same way. I have not taken many of the first kind of risks because I have a very strong sense of self-preservation. But I have taken lots of the second type of risk, and have had both good and bad outcomes, but mostly good. There are very few things I regret.

Posted by Shelby at February 6, 2004 04:45 PM