Anyone else out there love rollercoasters as much as I do? Man, I’m such an adrenaline junkie. One of my favorites is a wooden coaster here in the Inland Northwest at Silverwood theme park.
Right out of the loading bay, you climb the first hill painfully slowly and then drop 103 feet into an underground tunnel before shooting out the other side of the tunnel at 63 mph. More twists, turns, drops, underground tunnels, and even a hidden reaction camera await you for the rest of the ride; it leaves you breathless, grinning, and a little wobbly. They certainly didn’t name the coaster ‘Tremors’ for nothing.
My emotions have been all over the place the last 15 days or so. For 17 months I’ve been excitedly anticipating the start of my world race journey, and nervousness hasn’t come into play at all. But now, as I am 25 days away from saying goodbye to my family for a year and saying ‘hello again’ to my H squad family for a year, I just don’t quite know how to express how I feel.
Excited? Of course.
Sad? Definitely. (Especially when I think of squeezing my 4 nephews and 1 niece for the last time before I go.)
Confident in my decision to do this? Absolutely.
A little nervous for the unknown? Suddenly, yes.
During a conversation with some dear friends about this very topic, I heard myself blurt out “I feel like I’m on a rollercoaster!!” as I was attempting to verbalize these conflicting emotions. It was the perfect experience to encompass everything I was feeling. Standing in line waiting to climb into a seat on the ride, to then being buckled and ascending that first big hill wondering if the end result will be worth the shockwaves of fear now pulsing through your body as you anticipate the drop. Suddenly you’re down the first drop and speeding through the rest of the ride, barely able to process anything you’re seeing and experiencing. And then just like that it’s over and you’re rocked, but ready to get back in line to do it all over again. I have no better way to express to you the swirling adrenaline, excitement, jitters, giddiness, and anxious expectation that I have being 25 days away from launch.
So heres to strapping in for the wildest ride of my life and embracing all of the emotions, and yes tremors, that go along with it! Let the countdown begin.
Jaco, Costa Rica – I can’t wait to see what heart stopping thrills you have in store as our first destination.
Much Love,
Laina
