An adventure a day...

I've been having a lot of travel adventures both alone and with my family in these past 2 years of my life. Today was a big one. I have been out of my comfort zone here in Skopje, Macedonia. This is a very poor country, though Skopje puts on a proud face with its impressive statues and huge monuments. But when you get right down to it, most people here are poor. Thus, as a fortunate American woman, I have been having a trying time walking around and feeling safe all the time. I've been kicking myself for wearing these diamond earrings and my wedding rings-- all glaring giveaways of not blending in with the locals.
I've been assured that there is very little crime here. But that still doesn't reassure me completely that at any time I couldn't be swooped up and robbed or worse. What I keep repeating to myself is: fear begets fear, so don't have fear. My motto when our daughter was a baby was: sleep begets sleep. So, I generally believe these theories, but I struggle to convince myself fully.
Today I went to Lake Matka. It's a beautiful lake situated in a canyon on the outskirts of Skopje. I put my safety and life in the hands of a local professional private driver. He was a friendly, family man in his 30s. I still had no idea that he wasn't driving me up into the hills of Albania or god-knows-where. I had no cellphone service, only the ability to text. Even then, I had no idea where I was.
Thankfully, the trip was a success. Namely, I'm alive. The driver turned out to be extremely friendly and kind. He brought me to hidden monasteries and a restaurant built into a cavern. He gave me a history lesson in Macedonia and his theories on life in the Balkans. We ended up at the beautiful lake and we even had a traditional Macedonian lunch together.
I may not feel as adventurous as I look. But, the unease hasn't yet stopped me from taking on new adventures.