Zip, Zip, Zip

Not going to lie, when I first found out that I would be going zip lining for my EN 11 class, I was a nervous wreck. Not only did I not know anyone in the class, I am terrified of heights and hate doing anything relatively close to being adventurous. I had never been on a “fun” field trip, so this was a whole new experience for me.  

My EN 11 class

At first it was awkward. Here was my whole English class, who happen to live in the same building as me, sitting in a parking lot waiting for our professor, and two other professors at our school, to drive us to an adventure park to zip line. What sounds normal about that?

Everyone had different feelings, excited, nervous, anxious, worried, eager, happy. But we all had one thing in common, we did not know what to expect.

I was amazed that after a 20 minute “safety brief” a group of 18 year olds were prepared to climb trees and do obstacles. I was so nervous as I took my first steps onto the bridge that was 20 feet in the air. Obviously I panicked. Was I using my carabineer the right way? Is my harness tight enough? I felt like I forgot all the safety things they just taught us. I thought I was going to die.

After getting myself worked up, I realized that what I was doing was totally safe. If it weren’t, the place would have been shut down already. You don’t hear many stories about people falling to their death zip lining. Everyone that seemed so confident completing the elements had to be just as nervous as me. I decided instead of worrying like I always do, I was going to allow myself to enjoy the experience because the chances of me going zip lining for another class was slim to none.

The first course I did was a yellow, a relatively easy course the required little balance and strength. My first couple elements (bridges, ropes, tunnels that you cross in the air in order to reach the next platform) I was shaky. I went very slow and cautiously. By the end of the yellow trail though, I felt like a pro. I was flying through elements with no hesitation, which is surprising for me. Before I knew it, I zipped right down to the ground; I had completed my first course.

My next challenge was a green course, a step up from yellow, but not as intense as a blue or black course. It was obvious that this course was much difficult than the yellow one I just completed. It involved more balance and coordination, something that I lacked. I relied on upper body strength, and holding on for dear life, to get me through. Halfway though the course, I wanted to get down. I felt completely mentally and physically unprepared for the challenge. At this point, the staff member asked me what was wrong. When I told him I felt completely unprepared, he said that the only way to be prepared is to actually do it. I guess he was right, there was no way I could prepare myself for the experience of zip lining before I actually did it. That little pep talk gave me the motivation to finish to course and zip down to the ground.

Two courses were enough for me. After barley completing the green, I knew I wasn’t prepared to move onto blue. I threw in the towel and waited for the rest of the class to be done.

I think zip lining was the perfect bonding experience for my EN 11 class. It brought us all together by making us do something unusual. There’s no way a class dinner or movie night would have united our class the way zip lining did. We bonded with people not because we had to, but because we wanted to. I feel like everyone found someone in the class that was on the same level as him or her. This allowed them to do the courses together and create a bond from a new experience. I feel like we are much more comfortable with each other now than we were at the beginning of the year.

I’m glad that Professor Kelley made us go zip lining. If it weren’t for her, my boring self would have never had the experience.

Some of the elements I completed!