After drinking and spilling this morning's coffee, I washed the dishes. Clearly, the coffee had yet to kick in...

Given the design of our little corner wash station and the limited elbow space available, perching a glass mug on the outer rim of the sink was not a good idea.

I paused my washing and took a step back to admire the situation.

A veteran dish washer would never so blatantly ask the universe for breakage. My own limited experience has taught me that it's best to avoid such situations as a rule.

The reward of slightly improved washing time is far outweighed by the risk of prolonged (and emotionally if not physically painful) glass shatter cleanup.

However, there are many other situations in which the seemingly precarious path pays off.

Whimsically staying and living in Ecuador has made the past year a remarkable one I'm grateful to have experienced. For now, the net benefit of funemployment here over continued tech-careering stateside has been immeasurable for me. 

Most others with similar pedigree, resources, and travel experience would not seriously try to settle into a random new country at age 24.

Risky-looking decisions often seem that way for good reason. They don't tend to end well. We are all reminded of this in myriad ways every day.

But once in a while, the payoff merits an attempt. We just have to make a calculated choice, prepared for the consequences, as opposed to blindly and unthinkingly hoping for the best.