I consider myself a cautious person.

Although, after last year's visit to Tokyo, my friends there started referring to crossing the street on a red light as "walking like a Russian."

And then there was that time that I came too close to wild animals.

Also, there was...

Okay, I should amend the above to being "cautious by Russian standards."

Because we, Russians, can be pretty reckless, and I'm certain that you've seen at least one Youtube video demonstrating the latter (more like ten!).

Friday night, I went open-water swimming...BETWEEN TWO THUNDERSTORMS.

I was not trying to become the lucky recipient of a DARWIN AWARD. In fact, I even checked the forecast--HOURLY!--and the sky was blue. Proof:

Furthermore, there were several paddleboarders out on the lake with the same idea. Americans. This tells me that I'm no more reckless than the typical inhabitants of the greater Pacific Northwest. (You should watch them perform helicopter rescues out here, but that's a story for another time!)

Oh, and the post-swim storm clouds? They looked like this: