Scared to New Heights

Spoiler alert: I'm afraid of heights. This is a fact, and it is something that I have accepted. On top of that, I am a scaredy-cat. I just am. So the fact that this Saturday, I did the high ropes course here at Aspen Grove was a big deal.

So here's a little summary of what the ropes course is: there's a log that you climb up with notches in it (the log moves, just by the way- that was a nice little surprise.) Then, you go and climb a rock wall, which was probably the scariest part. Then, you go and you walk along these wires and go around trees and stuff, and then you come back and repel down. (Yes, I know that was incredibly clear.)

Anyways. So I decided that I was going to do the ropes course before I actually went down there. Once I was there, I started getting all of the equipment on and that's when the freak outs began.

(This is my friend Jimmy. He is basically like my best friend and he kinda talked me through the whole thing. :D )

So then I get to the point where I'm about ready to start climbing. I almost don't start, but they drag me over and make me do it. Suddenly, I'm climbing, and then I'm halfway up this swinging log, and I look up at all that I have to do and I have this overwhelming desire to quit. I just get so incredibly scared and I want to come back down while I still can. But Jimmy, on the belay, kind of pulls me up so I have to keep going.

So finally, I get up this log thingy. Once I get up to the top, I realize that I'm going to have to make it over to the climbing wall and do the rock climbing portion. I almost didn't do it. Seriously, I was shaking and I just had this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Somehow I got the courage to stick my foot out and put it on the rock, and  then Jimmy and Josh talked me through it, step by step. I finally reached the top and almost started hyperventilating. Luckily, Josh helped me breathe. :)

(you can tell by this picture how not happy i am at this point.)

So then I move on to the wires, shaking the whole time. Seriously, the wires were literally shaking. My whole body was shaking and I just wanted it to be over. But I kept going, cause the faster I went, the closer I was to getting to the end.

 It was really nice though, because the whole time, my friends were really encouraging me. I don't think I could have handled the tough love approach, so the way that it worked out was very nice.

Here's a picture of me and Anna, my coworker in the store and one of my bestest friends :)

and here's my super scared face:

Then came the funnest/second scariest part: the repelling!! It was super scary, because first you have to just lean over the edge with just the ropes carrying you. But before I knew it, I was over the edge and then it was fun. Ish.

Once I got kind of to the bottom, Jimmy started swinging me around and I was actually having fun. :)

...And that was my high ropes experience. I was scared to death, but I did it.. kind of against my will. But did it I did! And I feel great about it. I did something that I didn't think that I could do. And no, I haven't defeated my fear of heights, but I think I'm making steps in the right direction. :)

There's one thing I know for sure. It's something that I've known for a while, but now I'm okay with it. I am not, and don't think I ever will be, an outdoorsy kind of girl. It's as simple as that. I am not the sporty, rock-climbing type. I'm just not! And that's okay. That is completely 100% okay. :)