Waterfall Slide in Colombia

This is the oldest photo on my camera roll.

I’m in Colombia. I had just spent my morning interviewing former combatants about the war. Now, I’m about to go down this waterfall in my underwear because nature just served up the perfect water slide.

It’s 2019. Rhys is on his way, but it’s early in the pregnancy. I said yes to this spontaneous invitation to Colombia, knowing how much harder it’ll get once he’s born.

I feel like my truest self in this photo. The contrast of that morning and that moment matches the weird blend of heavy and light that I want in my life. And for the next few years that followed, it would be really hard to get back to this state. A year of a pandemic and social upheavals and three kids in two years will do that.

None of us are really who we were 4-5 years ago. But as I get more opportunities to reconnect with my true self, it’s been really a journey to discover what that looks like now. I still want to hold space for the challenging parts of life while still not taking myself too seriously. I want to honor adventure, while also being totally present for the incredible parts of ordinary life. It’s a steep learning curve… but at least some things are clear. Like the fact that I’ve never regretted jumping in swim holes along the way.