Before I tell you about my date, let me just tell you how EXCITED I was to go on the date. I am so afraid of heights that I once stood in the doorway of the elevator on the Vulcan and cried as a little old lady held my hand and tried to tell me that I was going to be ok. So going zip lining was a HUGE leap for me. Not only was I going to do zip lining for the first time, that also meant I was going to have to get up high!
But let's rewind for a moment because I skipped past some really good parts.
I pulled up to the entrance of Red Mountain Park and noticed two women hop out of their car and go bouncing towards the trial. It was thirty-two degrees outside and I was nervous and alone so I did not bounce anywhere. Before reaching the point where I meet my guides, there is a half mile hike up and around the mountain. Beautiful....but we'll get back to that.
I love Stephen King. I do not mean I love him in the same "I-love-Johnny-Depp-so-much-that-I-would-move-to-Paris-and-eat-frog-legs" love. But I can read anything, I mean anything that man writes. I practically have. I share that because I thought of Mr. King as I slowly (and then quickly) made my trek through the forest that has grown atop Red Mountain. I'm thinking, 'I usually talk about the stupid women on shows like Law & Order who walk on a trail all alone and then become the homicide the detectives are trying to solve.' "Well, maybe there are camera's strategically placed in some of the trees" I thought out loud to no one. Then I looked around...nope...not one camera. It's funny how the 'intelligent' decisions you made just seven short minutes ago can seem so stupid once you are living the moment; like, leaving your cell phone in the car so you don't drop it while your zipping through the air "/
In the instructions you receive before arriving at the mountain you are told there is a ten minute hike before you reach the station where you will meet your guide. When I read 'hike', I read walk. When they said 'hike', they meant HIKE. After I thoroughly freaked myself out and convinced myself that the next Stephen King novel was going to be based on my disappearance, I spotted the guidepost. I was so happy I almost sprinted the rest of the way there.
Almost.
I make it there and I am greeted by Mike, who let's me know I am the first to arrive. No problem, I took a seat in one of the chairs seated outside the post and that is the first time I really get to enjoy my surroundings.
I don't think I ever truly took notice of it before but, Mother Nature is very beautiful. The tall trees, providing shade even while they stand bare in the winter air. The squirrels chasing each other across the dried, brown leaves. Woodpeckers....well, doing whatever it is that woodpeckers do when they are rapidly pecking their beak into the truck of a tree. I sat back, closed my eyes and just drank in the sun on my face and the nature surrounding me.
About ten minutes pass when Mike comes out to let me know that it's just going to be me with the guides on the course today. That was the first time I knew my Father was with me today, He knew I was going to need a lot of extra attention tackling my fear of heights and the last thing I needed was a group trying to rush me along.
The second time I knew my Father was arranging things for me today was when I met my guides. My two guides were Hannah and Christopher and they were GREAT! Not only were they funny and personable, but they were also patient and very clear in their instructions. I needed all four of those things if my first zip lining experience was going to be a good one. There were a few times that Christopher scared the bejeezus out of me but that actually made the experience more fun. I zipped across about six or seven lines, walked across a tightrope and repelled down a tree. All in all, it was a VERY exciting morning, and my favorite me date yet. I will definitely be back. And soon.
The second walk on the hiking trail, back to my car, was a very different one. I took my time walking. I took the time to enjoy the creatures just living their life around me. I took in all of the trees, rocks, grass and leaves and the took the time to just be with my thoughts. And I came up with the most important part of this journey; what I have realized about myself:
I like hiking,
I like being surrounded by the sounds of nature,
I would like hiking more if I were in better shape so my lungs didn't burn,
I enjoy zip lining,
I like the sound the fallen winter leaves make when I am walking on them,
I can face my fears without being pushed,
I am still afraid of heights,
and most important,
that is ok :-)
Yes, although I enjoyed the time I had today, at each tree house post, before I pushed off, my legs turned to jell-o, my stomach turned, I thought I was going to throw up and I had a small voice in my head saying 'ok, you can NOT do this one!' I am still afraid of heights, but I am ok with that. The point of the 52 dates is not to eliminate my fears, it isn't even really to face my fears. The point is to find me, get to know me and enjoy the time I can spend in my own company.
Mission accomplished today.
Until next time,
Be blessed.
~LTa
No comments:
Post a Comment