Uh ... Where's the Chicken Exit?

Photo courtesy of http://shirt.woot.com

This past weekend, I roadtripped to Ponca, Arkansas, with some good gal pals. We rented a cabin from the Buffalo Outdoor Center, and spent time catching up, shopping, eating, and zip lining. It was a fantastic getaway! If you ever get the chance to head south to the Ozarks, I highly recommend the BOC. Great lodging, fantastic hospitality!

Zip lining was a new adventure for me. I like to challenge myself whenever I can because I'm realizing that, while my level for risk taking was never sky high, it's definitely sank lower as the years have passed. Zip lining sounded like the perfect way to pump up my lackadaisical adrenaline.

The morning of our zipping adventure, I geared up and was ready to go. And then I realized that we were going to be way high up on a teeny weeny platform. And I was supposed to jump off this teeny weeny platform and careen through the forest on a cable. Say what?

Here is what I looked like on the first three zips. (I had to make it big so you could see me. I forbid my friends to post of any close ups because then you would see what a true scaredy cat I was! As in, my eyes were closed.)

I was scared to death! See how I'm clinging to the rope for dear life? Because had that steel cable snapped, my death clutch was going to save me as I plummeted to the forest floor. Yeah. Right. After the first zip, I gave myself a mental pep talk like no other:

"You can do this. You can do this. You don't have to love it. There are only six zips. Besides, there is no chicken exit. To get down, you would have to zip back the way you came, so you might as well just keep moving forward. Do not be a sissy."

Somewhere in cyberspace there is a picture of me zipping in straight line formation. Like a pencil. Did I mention I was scared to death? I don't think I have ever puckerd my hiney so tighly in my life!

But I rallied. Here is a picture of me on the zip No. 4 - the length of two football fields. My goal was to let one hand go off the rope. But look at me! All four limbs are waving in the wind (and rain; it rained). And .. I loved it. YeeHaw! I was sad when zip No. 6 brought us back to the ground.

This was one of those times when my Real Reality (fear of heights; fear of falling from a teeny weeny platform and smashing into the ground) almost kept me from achieving my Ideal Reality (trying a new adventure).  Chicken Exit? Not for this chick. I realized I had a great opportunity in front of me, and I took it. (**insert pat on the back)

Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, I hope you're Keepin' It Real!