Fourteen of us stood there.  The zip-line advisors carefully and comprehensively explained the process and safety guidelines of our soon-to-occur adventure.  They were young men, around the age of 20, who looked fit and knowledgeable, at least to me.  I was half-listening to what they were saying, while part of me was thinking to myself, “What am I doing here?”  In between my thoughts, I would catch a joke by one of them teasing the other, so I didn’t get much of the directions but enough to get through the course, I hope.
We stepped into our harnesses which were laid perfectly on the floor in front of us.  They were the exact same as the ones used for the rope course, so that was a bit relieving since I had done the rope course in the past.  Our mentors assisted us during the process, strapping on our safety gear.  We had to step into two openings in front of the harness when it was on the floor and then lift the two openings on the other side of it over our backs around our shoulders in order to fasten the harness into place.  Then they tied ropes with two metal hooks attached on the ends of them around one of the two black plastic rings that were one of the sides of our harnesses at our waist.  Once again, I found myself questioning if I could really go through with this.  I was beyond scared out of my mind.  I had never done anything like this before, so I didn’t know what to expect.

The place I went to was called “Take Flight,” more like “Take Fright.” In one instance, I was really excited and thrilled to do it, but in actuality, I was anxious about the smallest things that could happen.  I was nervous about whether or not the hook would break or unclip from the line and I would fall to my death.  I was also pacing around the thought of getting stuck during one of the lines.  Walking to the beginning of the course, I just tried to get over my worries the best I could and planned on enjoying the experience and having fun.

When I was climbing up the rope ladder just to get to the first line, I was ready to go down yet scared of the worst to come.  I could feel my heart beating, pounding out of my chest.  My breaths became shallow and my palms were sweating like crazy.  I had never been so nervous in my life, but I knew I couldn’t back down now.  As I got hooked onto the first line, I took a deep breath, leaped from the platform below me, and took off as if it were the speed of light, maybe even faster.  The rush of the wind in my face felt relaxing as if I were a hawk gracefully soaring through the sky.  In my moment of peace and flight, I was invigorated at the same time.  I could hear the voices and friends and family cheering me on as reality kicked in.  Exhilaration was rushing through my veins like the power of Niagara Falls.  “Wow, I can’t believe I’m doing this” is what instantaneously went through my mind at that moment.

With excitement and anticipation, I saw the upcoming landing at the end of the first line.  Just then, I remembered there were directions on how to land at the next platform.  “Remember to lift your legs,” the instructor told us, “and we will grab your harness to help you land safely.”  At that moment, I lifted my legs and Anthony, one of the instructors, reached out for my harness.  My two feet crash landed on to the wooden surface.  I had miraculously made it safely.  I let out a deep sigh of relief that I had made it in one piece.  Though I was relieved to make it through the first one, I knew I still had about seven or eight more to go in that course.

After finishing the first line, I got less anxious about the next one because I knew what it was like.  Suddenly, in my mind I began to panic again.  What are the next one’s going to be like? Are they going to be faster, steeper, longer, or scarier?  I had to put my trust in our zip-line escorts’ experience and capabilities.  They had safely equipped us in our gear, and we had survived our first round.        

 
As I looked on to the second line, I noticed that it was definitely longer than the first one I had just ridden.  I thought to myself that if I could do this one because it seems scarier, all the other ones after this will be fairly easy to cope with.  One by one, I watched them go, and then it was my turn.  After watching everyone do it themselves, I confidently went down the line and didn’t let anything hold me back.  As I made it to the next landing, I suddenly felt calmer about the rest to come.  With each subsequent line, I found myself calmer and more relaxed.  I was breathing more deeply.  I was noticing the nature around me; the rich green in the pine trees, the fertile bushes below me, and the clear blue sky that reminded me of the smoothing ocean on the beach in Maine.  I finally started to enjoy the experience.  I felt proud that I had conquered my fears and after taking this chance, I knew I could do anything I wanted to if I set my mind to it.