The Colorado River's Lava Falls and one silly moment on video

On April 18, I set off with my boyfriend's family for what would be the trip of a lifetime. On the way, I made myself sick to my stomach with worry. We were headed to the Grand Canyon for 15 days of white water rapid-filled fun on the Colorado River. Only, I was freakin' out, petrified that I'd fall into the water and drown. Doesn't sound like fun, does it?
On the entire 4.5 hour-drive from Phoenix to Marble Canyon, near the put-in spot, the place we'd begin our river raft tour, I wasn't thinking of the professional guides we'd be with, the life preservers we'd be wearing for safety, nor the fact that thousands of visitors take this same trip year after year. All I was thinking about was that my boyfriend, who was supposed to be my hero, couldn't go, and I was going to have to save myself should the need arise. I wasn't sure I could do that. I knew I'd panic. I wanted my security blanket, in this case, my boyfriend. So as the only couple in our family outing without my partner, I was feeling sunk--and my toes hadn't even touched water yet.

Whoa! I know that's a lot of anxiety--and unrealistic--for anyone, but especially for a person who thrives on turning obstacles into opportunities. But I just wasn't sure I knew how to fix this challenge. I wasn't sure I had the ability to relax and really have fun. I could only hope that it would happen. And that's why I still wanted to go. I had that hope I could overcome this inner battle. Obviously, I had something to prove to myself and knew this trip was something I needed to do. I knew my hero was really me. I just didn't know what tool I would use to find her.

I should have known it would be humor.

By Day 12, we hit the rapid of all rapids, Lave Falls. It was the one we most anticipated. It was the one we were told was the Big Kahuna. It was the one I really feared. I'd survived all the others. No one had flipped a raft. There'd been no passenger fall-ins. We'd moved past all the earlier rapids, even the ones that required scouting, with relative ease--and lots of laughs. But this one still daunted me. It was the one the guides talked about in whispers. It was the one my friends back home worried about. It was the one I thought might do me in.

And then a funny thing happened. Despite the anxiety that bubbled up in the pit of my stomach when I first heard the rapid about a 1/4 mile away...despite the fact that I could see Lava's rapids shooting up into the air, reaching out her liquid arches like fingers, ready to pull you in...when we finally stopped to get out and get close enough for the big scouting adventure, all I could see was the right way into it. As we made our way through the trails up the hill to look down below at the river and what awaited us there, I could see for myself that Lava Falls didn't look so bad. She looked no worse than the rapids we'd already been through before. And we'd made it through all of those just fine. I started to relax.

Thus, the video above. By the time this moment arrived, I'd resigned myself to the knowledge that our guides would get us through this one without incident. By this time, laughter and relaxation had taken over my days-long fear. And Lynn Etter, the videographer, decided we'd pretend to be the scouts. So join us as we relive this moment, just before we enter the throes of Lava Falls Rapid. With a rating as high as a 10, the highest rating for a rapid, a rapid that should offer all the challenge the raging waters can bring on, this one acted more like an 8, maybe a 7. Whatever she was on the ratings meter, for us, she was a lot of fun. And I definitely enjoyed riding her up, up and up--and then back down into calm waters again. Take a look and see what I mean. Then...

Tell me about a time when something scared you silly, to the point that you would have turned back if given the choice? What happened? How did you conquer that fear?

A raft, some family and jazz hands

Yep, that's me in the middle, with my jazz hands all open and free. It was my first full day in the front of the raft. Day 12 (maybe) of my recent Grand Canyon River Raft tour with Outdoors Unlimited. And this one turned out to be family day. Luckily, I'd finally found my mojo on the river by then and was willing to face the rapids head on. Without ducking.

Up to that point, I was only halfway there. I still feared the big ones. Thankfully, because the river level was high during the two weeks plus we spent on the Colorado, we weren't really facing "big ones." Even the Big Kahuna of rapids in the 280 miles we'd float, the one called Lava Falls, just wasn't that horrendous. Of course, our guides fought them mightily anyway. Just in case. The rapids were still bubbly enough to pull you in, flip you over, and send you slamming into deep schist if you didn't hold on tight enough. Trust me, I held on. And those gloves I'm wearing have the rips and broken seams to prove it.

The strength of our guides (I've never seen bigger muscles underneath someone's forearms before) is the very reason you see that big smile on my face. They pushed and pulled us through high-rated rapids and drops of 30 feet, more and less, as if we were simply part of a parade. They made it look easy. And because we were smart enough to raft the entire length of the Grand Canyon, the time allowed them to ease in the chickens like me. The rapids got rougher as we made our way down river. So that, even though I was scared out of my mind at first, by the time we reached the rapids that required scouting, I was feeling secure enough when that rush of water came barreling down on heads, neck and feet. Even when it knocked me up off the raft, by then, I knew my hold on the ropes would keep me safe and dunk-free. I'd had enough experience behind me to see for myself. Yeah, the death grip really works. So I held on. Good and tight.

What a trip! You can expect to see more photos like this one in the days ahead. This one, by the way, was taken by Rebecca Albrecht. She was part of the "family" tour I was on for this 15-day excursion. I add those quote marks, because I'm not the actual family member. I am the girlfriend of the boyfriend who couldn't go. And the boyfriend is the family member. I was the fifth-wheel. But they let me play anyway, and I have never had so much fun before in my life.

So let me send props to the raft, family and jazz hands. All three made this a trip filled with more joy than sand on the beach. And let me tell you, there's a lot of sand on the shore of the Colorado. I should know, since I brought extra home with me--in my shoes, my socks, my hair, my ears, my clothes...

Can you tell me about a time you spent with family that left you reeling in laughter-filled memories long past the event? Post it in a comment below. Or just share your thoughts about what it would take for you to give yourself two weeks of carefree fun.