Lesson: Never underestimate a woman. Or a chef.

Fear didn't suit me.

Having friends was weird . . . but in a good way.

I didn't mind walking into danger on my own. Not the concept of it, anyway.

I imagined it was far better to be optimistic, to proceed assuming wherever you could that you had cared enough, that you'd made a difference, that you would again. Dwelling on the worst was no way to live.

For the most part, I did trust my own judgement. But I was more than capable of screwing up. Just, sometimes, I forgot about that in my quest to move forward.