CASEY
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
CASEY
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
If you know me, you know that I am afraid of heights and can get anxious very easily trying new things. But, today I was brave and I faced one of my fears and went zip-lining! At about 9am we were picked up and taken to the Monkey Jungle and Zip Line Adventures. As soon as we stepped off the bus and I saw where I thought our first line was going to start, I was petrified. To me it looked like they wanted us to start at a line that looked at least 1,000 feet up in the air!? We put our things away then went and got set up with our equipment. We were given harnesses that wrapped around our legs and our chests, a helmet, gloves to help us stop, and a rope that connected us to the line. I was fortunate enough to have bought a go-pro type camera to hook to the top of my helmet, so I could capture some amazing videos as I went down the zip-lines! Once we got all of our equipment, we set off to the first line. When we got to the top of the ladder, I was shaking so hard because I felt like we were 500 feet in the air. But, when it was my turn to go, I let the guide hook me up to the zip-line and I let him push me to start. I screamed and was scared for about 5 seconds, but my fear vanished when I took a look around me at the beautiful scenery that I was going over. I had the biggest smile on my face and was almost teary eyed by the end, because I was so incredibly happy that I got myself to go down the line, and I had fun while doing it. After that first line, I was eager to go on to the next one. The second line was the fastest paced one that they had, but I thought it was absolutely amazing, especially being able to take in all of the gorgeous views from above the jungle. We continued on through four more lines, then came to a small cable bridge. Once we crossed, I realized that we had to do a 54 foot free fall from the platform, into a small cave below. After getting used to the zip lines, I was again terrified when I was sitting at the edge of the platform ready to fall into the cave. I told the guide I needed a minute to calm myself down, but once I realized just sitting there would only make my nerves worse I yelled, “Just throw me, just throw me!” and he picked me up by the back of my harness and tossed me over the edge! It was actually really fun to go down into that cave, and it wasn’t as bad as I had first anticipated. Once we had all gotten to the bottom, we went down the last line, gathered together for some pictures, then were back in the bus on our way to the monkey jungle. We got back to the place where we had been dropped off to start are zip-lining tour, and gathered around another guide who took us into the monkey jungle. The beginning of the tour took us into a large 3-acre enclosure, that was inhabited by squirrel monkeys. They were so adorable, and so soft to the touch. We were all given a plate covered in watermelon and sunflower seeds to feed to the monkeys. Once they realized we had food for them, they were all ready to be near us. Some would jump on your shoulders, others would jump on your arm and grab food, while others would go as far as climbing right up on top of your head! Once we had finished feeding them, we walked down a set of stairs to view a smaller enclosure that was home to Capuchin monkeys. They were also adorable, and made quiet squeaking noises and actually looked upset when they realized that we were leaving the jungle. All in all, today was an absolutely wonderful day. I felt so liberated when I had completed all of the zip lines, and was really impressed with myself for being able to do it, and absolutely loving it! Honestly, I already want to go back and do it again. I am so thankful that I was given such a unique opportunity, and enjoyed every minute of this terrifyingly wonderful experience!
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AuthorHello! My name is Casey, and I'm a junior at SUNY Buffalo State College. I am currently working towards my undergraduate degree in Childhood Education, with a concentration in English. I am so excited to have been given such an amazing opportunity to expand my knowledge in the field of education, while simultaneously exploring the beautiful culture of the Dominican Republic. ArchivesCategories |