On the fifth day at sea, I was set adrift in a rowboat and left to my own devices. In the boat, I had an oar, rations for three days, and an umbrella. There was no cell phone, which was just as well, because I was out of reach of any towers anyway. There was no radio, either.
This was not punishment: This was of my own choosing, and my own design.
I watched the ship disappear onto the horizon; it took an hour, by my reckoning, but my reckoning was not the most reliable. Especially not in the hours that followed until nighttime, as I left the oar dry and felt the steady rhythm of the waves guide my little boat.
What madness had I gotten myself into?