travel
January 21, 2026
The place that stayed with me: on a wild, misty river I learned I have the strength for almost anything
At first Stephanie Wood felt out of her depth rafting the Franklin, but by the end, a world of new possibilities had opened up
TL;DR
- The author, Stephanie Wood, embarked on an eight-day rafting trip on the Franklin River despite feeling unfit and out of her depth.
- She was inspired to take the trip by a childhood memory of her father showing her a film about the river during a campaign to stop a dam.
- Wood struggled physically and mentally during the trip, comparing herself unfavorably to a fitter fellow traveler.
- She discovered that moments of fear, like going over rapids, were exhilarating and learned that mental strength is as important as physical strength.
- The experience led her to realize she possesses the strength for future expeditions and to reconnect with the natural world she cherished as a child.
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