A Not-So-Relaxing Vacation
When you’re suspended 300 feet in the air, you have two choices: to panic or to find the joy in the situation. Thankfully, I chose the second.
The day before, my family and I arrived in Hawaii, a calming breeze of warm air greeted us at the small airport and palm trees swayed with the wind. On our second day, we went to the zipline course Dad had booked us; a small zipline awaited us 30 feet in the air. It was over an open area with woodchips and bark bellow. I was very scared, but ultimately decided to go. My harness was clipped on, and I pushed off from the platform. It was so fun I wished to go again. Behind me, my mom, dad, and brother went, starting out as a speck and growing larger as they zoomed across the zip line. But that wasn’t the only zipline; there were many more to go.
Our guides taught us tips to help us gain more control. They taught us how to make ourselves small when we wanted to go faster. Other times, we were told to lay flat to slow. With these tips we were able to change our speed. We kept on like that, going through the course in the beautiful Hawaiian forest. As we were half way through the course, I was enjoying myself greatly.
We went to another platform following the same preseasure. However, once we got up, there was a bit of a hike up the side of the mountain. With my mom in front and my brother and father behind me, we walked up, and up. It took a while and you could see how heigh it was by looking to the side. There the hills sloped steeply down into endless amounts of green. When we got to the platform it was clear that this zipline was much higher than ones before it.
“Now we have reached the peak of the course. The zipline you are about to go on is over 300 feet above the ground and spans about 1500 feet in distance, ” the guide yelled to us. Despite his loud attempt the wind blew strong at such a high height, whisking away his voice. Strangely, I didn’t feel scared. I enjoyed the course very much and a longer zipline was exciting! I also don’t have a fear of heights.
I wish I could say the same for my mother, but she was clearly very scared. As others in the group got ready, we watched as they soared to the end. I was ready to go next but my father interrupted, “Honey, they are going to tell you to stay small half way. But you should just stay tight and small the entire time. Your very light and you won’t get across.”
My nosy older brother disagreed, “She will be fine, you should trust the experts.”
“I’m going to do it their way, sorry Dad,” I said, making up my mind as the guide clipped my harness to the zipline. The experts knew what they were doing I reassured myself.
“Stay small for halfway,” the guide instructed me.
Then I jumped, going faster than I had before. The zipline made a buzzing sound as I zoomed across it. The wind roared and I closed my eyes. I held my knees to my chest until half way. Then unfolding myself I layed back and enjoyed the ride. But suddenly I started to slow. I was only halfway, and I was beginning to slow down! My heart was beating out of my chest and my breath shortened. When I came to a stop I was only ⅔ through the course and was over 300 feet in the air. I could see the guide standing on the platform out of my reach. I was panicked. Will they have to get a helicopter? How long was I going to be here? Could the zipline hold my weight for another hour? What about two?
It was then that I realized panicking wouldn’t help. I had heard people say it before but never had I been in situation where I had to face the consequences. My consequence here was I didn’t have an escape. I could not run. As I sat in my harness, I realized I calmed myself down, just by thinking before falling into a place of panic or fear. In my harness I looked below me where a vast jungle grew. Yellow dots against the dark lush greenery displayed bananas. Bushes covered the ground. Far above the wild jungle I sat, staring at the world below.
Quickly I turned back to the people who were on the platform far ahead of me. The guide had clipped his harness on the zipline and was crawling upside down towards me. I smiled and felt a wave of relief run through me.
When he finally reached me he took the carabiner and clipped us together. Now he crawled back, and I was pulled with him. I gazed down, enjoying the view the whole way. My feet touched the wood boards of the platform and the guide unclipped my harness. Everyone was looking at me wondering how scary that must have felt. I was not scared, only wishing I could have enjoyed the view for a little longer.
Who knew a thrilling adventure could teach you so much? I have learned to stop trying to control things I can’t. Sometimes the best reaction is one with little action. I have learned to let go, and it has helped me all throughout my life.
