Last week, I went to Kent with the entire Planning & Research department for a team-building day. We had to do some rope untangling, some blindfolded rope stuff, some thinky things and some do-y things, some finding things in the woods and whatnot, and we had a few that were more physically challenging than others. Luckily, we had gorgeous weather, so we spent most of the day outside.

Now I took a class in college called “Adventure Games.” It included rock climbing, self-belaying, climbing trees, zip lines, ropes courses, you name it . . . and usually at considerable altitudes. I loved it. I certainly got scared a few times, but never too scared to go for it. I guess I always figured that it wasn’t in the college’s interest to kill me.

SO, you can imagine my excitement when one of the tasks involved helmets. There were two metal cords attached to trees, and they started close together and finished far apart. One person on each cord, leaning against each other, starting at the close end and scoot along as far as you can to the faraway end. The cords were about three feet off the ground, so nothing too dangerous. Anyway, I was obviously first in line, and there’s a girl on my team of a similar height and weight, so she was selected as my partner. Well, we didn’t get very far before we lost balance and fell off. She managed to jump back and land on two feet, but the Queen of Grace would obviously not go down so easily. Oh no. I slipped off the cord, LANDED on the cord, then landed on my rear end and smacked my head on the ground. All in one beautiful, dance-like motion. I couldn’t see it, of course, but I just know.

I sat for a moment and decided to take a short break while Liz got back up – this time with Nick – and got much further along than we did. They didn’t get all the way to the end, though, so we needed to start over to earn maximum points, and obviously I – having ignored my lesson – was first in line. This time Luke volunteered to be my partner. We jumped up and just motored along those wires – all the way to the end so impressively that people cheered. Go team!

The funny part of all this – well, funny to me – is that I am so proud of my battle scars – the massive bruises I collected on my way down. I feel as if it’s proof that I am ever so brave and adventurous. No, Tiff, no. Any idiot can fall off the wire – it’s really just proof that you’re one of them.

Hmm. . . . . oh whatever I’m so completely bada$$ and you know it.