One of my favorite things that I’ve ever done is going caving. I did it for three years in a row and posted about it each time in total excitement. (You can see the posts here: caving in 2013, caving in 2014, and caving in 2015.)

And then we didn’t go caving for a while. I missed it a lot and hoped we’d begin doing the adventures again, so when my adopted mom informed me that another caving trip was being planned, I right away worked it into my schedule.

Today I’m heading with my adopted parents to the Creation Museum where we’ll stay at their RV there so we can get an early start to the Cumberland Caverns in TN the next day.

I’m not sure when I’ve ever been so freaked out about something that I know will be a good experience. Like, seriously. Somehow the passage of a few years is making me wonder if I’ll even fit through the crazy-small holes, crevices, and tunnels in the cave any more.

Some friends asked me if I’m excited about caving…and I am. I’m just more freaked out currently than excited. There are so many things I could worry about, so many things I could imagine going wrong, and so many easy ways to back out of the “extreme” caving part of the adventure. (I mean, come on, we’re also doing a walk-through tour, my adopted dad is doing a concert 300ish feet underground, and we’re all going to camp out. It will be a spectacular time. I could easily back out of the belly-crawling part.)

And yet, I’m totally planning on going the whole nine yards, belly-crawling and wedging myself into tight places included. I’m doing this for several reasons, including the fact that I’m not letting irrational fear keep me from great experiences. I mean, I know that people bigger than me fit through the tight spaces, so there’s no reason that I shouldn’t. Then there’s also that whole stepping-outside-my-comfort-zone deal, where I push and prod my comfort zone walls to new dimensions by doing things that freak me out. And plus, “extreme” caving was literally one of the highlights of all three years I did it. Maybe it will be a highlight of 2019, too?

Currently
Setting: At my adopted parent’s house
Listening to: Dad play the mandolin 
Question of the Day: Have you ever gone caving in a place small enough you need to belly-crawl?