If you know me, you know I just moved 1,328 miles from Dallas, TX to Washington D.C. You'll also know that I recently turned 22. It was pretty wild to have a new year of life coincide with moving to a brand new city--and not just any, my second favorite city of all time (you know Dallas has to be #1). 

My birthday weekend involved some fun shopping with my mom, a lot of food, and fun and mildly eventful boat cruise of the Potomac River, where I got some pretty cool pics of my new city. 

Boat cruises excite me and also terrify me. The thing is, I can't swim. There are no life jackets. And they last a while (okay, like 2 hours...), but mostly, it's because I can't swim. And yes, I've taken lessons (four times, to be exact). 

The start of my birthday was sunny and fresh, but as soon as it was time to head on to the boat, it started lightning, raining, and thundering. At this point, I had already committed to getting on this boat, but you can believe I was mildly (severely) panicking.


Despite the nerves, I'm glad I got on! The start of the boat ride was super relaxed and we got to sit on the top deck of the bus--which meant ample opportunities for photos. Sadly, it did start pouring rain not too long into the trip and we ended up stuck on the lower, covered level. During this part of the ride, I was definitely in panic mode. Like how the heck was I supposed to survive being on a boat on a river in the middle of a storm when I can't even swim??

You probably think that I was being dramatic. And I most definitely was. I'm pretty sure God specifically provided three little kiddos who were so innocently in awe of the storm and that boat cruise that I couldn't help but smile during the worst of the storm. These kids could have cared less about the safety (or lack of safety) and were genuinely enjoying the full experience. They were even gutsy enough to venture out to the uncovered portion of the lower level to experience the trip in all its glory. Soon after, my family and I decided we might as well head out into the uncovered area, too! 


Once we were back outside and saw the beauty of D.C. and the Potomac, 98% of my worries disappeared (that's pretty significant, because I usually function at a 110% stress level). The coolest thing was that not long after we stepped out into the storm, it mostly went away! The last portion of the ride was gorgeous, filled with artsy photo opps, and made me feel very proud of myself for conquering a fear on my 22nd birthday. 

Some things I learned on my 22nd birthday are that 1) boat cruises aren't that bad 2) boats are meant for water LOL 3) sometimes storms and icky situations are scarier when you're watching them from the safety of your comfort zone--but when you actually step out into them, they aren't even half bad. Or they just disappear.