When it comes to your birthday, some people like to celebrate and others do not.
When it comes to MY birthday, I like to shout it from the rooftops……OR from the top of the CN Tower. Which is exactly the location that Handsome Guy booked for my special day when I rang in my 40th.
This year, I wanted to give him a birthday gift that I knew he would really enjoy – because what better way to show your love for somebody then to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars on them! I think it was Deepak Chopra who said that?
Anyway, after a bit of searching, I stumbled upon Tree Top Trekking. A fun day of zip-lining and walking across suspended bridges high up in the trees. It was the perfect day of adventure for us, because we both loved excitement, we both loved the outdoors, and we both loved any excuse to try our new sparkle all day face mist which protected your makeup from the elements and dry heat.
Ok, maybe that last one was just me, but you get the jist.
On the day of our adventure, we arrived ready to enjoy a peaceful day in nature.
Or so I thought.
While we sat all relaxed at the picnic table waiting to be called for our turn, I noticed that the other attendees around us were very intense.
They were double and triple checking the fastenings on their backpacks, ensuring that they had brought enough water bottles, counting the number of protein bars they packed, and making sure their cell phones were properly zipped away in their fanny packs.
I was very confused by their quick and squirrely-like actions.
First of all, why did they have backpacks?
Second of all, who needs protein bars? This thing would probably only last a couple of hours. In fact, Handsome Guy and I were looking forward to a lovely sushi lunch right after.
And…..
Thirdly, who the heck still wears a fanny pack??
My confusion was interrupted when a TreeTop Trekker instructor called us for Training.
Training? I thought.
Training for what? For walking on suspended bridges….??
I looked over at Handsome Guy even more confused than before. But he wasn’t fazed. He just smiled eagerly, grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the training location as I reluctantly followed.
My confusion soon turned to nervousness as the trainer handed us each a very heavy and complicated harness and instructed us to put it on. As she came over to each of us, one by one, to check if we had attached everything correctly, she continued with her instructions. She used words like, “you must NEVER unsnap your harness….”, and “you could fall out of a 40 foot tree…..” and “you could be asked to leave..…..”.
Ummm, what in God’s name was happening here?
Here I was wanting a romantic and peaceful walk in the trees with my guy, and turns out I was signing up for possible death?? Or worse yet..... an embarrassing walk out by Trudy the instructor!?
I tried so very hard to keep my cool, but deep down inside, I was having a full on panic attack.
I had a feeling that my fun and relaxing afternoon would be now be filled with activity, challenges, and dare I say it…..exercise!
This was NOT what I signed up for.
Before we started our treetop trekking adventure, on my last training test, just 4 feet off of the ground, and in front of the whole training group, my foot slipped and scraped against the thick metal suspension rope. I hung from my harness like a Goddam fool with a bloody and scraped shin.
And that was just the beginning folks.
Now, the real test would begin……..20 feet up in the air.
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There were 5 parts to this treetop adventure. They were coded by colour. And each colour coded section was called a “game”.
The first game wasn’t too bad. It consisted of a series of long and wiggly bridges, spanning anywhere from 20 to 40 feet between trees. Some of them had challenges like suspended tires that you had to climb through, all while keeping your balance.
I passed the first level.
The second game was slightly harder but somehow still manageable for someone like me who avoids exercise and activity at all costs. I was actually impressed with my skill and tactic in figuring out how to get from one tree to the next without dying.
Near the end of it, I smiled and thought, Hey, this thing may not be so bad after all!
I think the universe liked that comment, because at the next tree, I was treated to a lovely and long zipline down to the end of game 2.
Weeeeeeeeeeeee!! :)
It was at this point that Handsome Guy and I decided to break for drinks and snacks. Oh, but wait, we didn’t bring any (insert eye roll here). Luckily we found a small protein bar in his car, which we shared like 2 little chipmunks. And as for water, we finished off the half of a bottle which I originally wasn’t even going to bring (insert yet another eye roll here).
We had finished our 1/2 a snack and 1/2 a drink (literally, 30 seconds later), and made our way to the base of Game 3 where one of the instructors said to us in a very hyped up voice;
“Hey guys! I’ve been watching you on the first couple of games and you’re both doing amazing! Now.... we don’t let everyone advance to the next levels if we don’t think they’re ready, but you guys are killing it!! Can’t wait to see how you do on game red! Good luck!”
I smiled at hyped-up-guy and tried to look excited.
On one hand I was a teeny-tiny bit proud of myself for making it this far.
On the other hand, I was very nervous about the next game.
I wasn’t sure I could do anything any more challenging than I had already accomplished. Not to mention, the height of the trees was increasing with each game….so not only would this game be more challenging, but also a little bit scary.
I wasn’t sure I could do anything any more challenging than I had already accomplished. Not to mention, the height of the trees was increasing with each game….so not only would this game be more challenging, but also a little bit scary.
As I reluctantly proceeded to game red, I overheard two girls talking......
"Someone just told me that there's a rope swing on one of the games. And it's like 30 feet above ground. There's no way I'm doing that game!!"
I thought to myself, a rope swing??
Oh, hells to the NO!!
I was TERRIFIED of rope swings.
Just the thought of a rope swing reminded me of that horrific day when I attempted one at a friend's cottage when I was 20 years old. As the rope catapulted me towards the lake, I couldn't hang on, and nearly killed myself by letting go too soon just missing all of the rocks on the shore below. I'll never forget the look of sheer horror on my friend's faces as I almost fell to my death. I would definitely be avoiding that game!
Game red was just as I thought it would be. Incredibly challenging.
But I was slowly but surely making my way through it...........until........I saw it.
The rope swing.
I quickly turned around. There was a group of 4 people following right behind us. There was no turning back now.
Handsome Guy then saw the panic on my face.
"Babe, I know you're scared, but you can do this. I'll go first and I'll catch you on the other side ok??"
I nodded slowly. I'm sure I looked like I was going to cry. Or vomit. Or both.
He grabbed the rope and swung over with ease.
Then he swung the rope back to me. I caught it with shaky hands.
I debated.
I could wimp out and call down to the instructors to rescue me while everyone watched.
Or......
I could just do it.
I decided not to think about it any longer.
I took a deep breath, grabbed the rope, held on for dear life, and.......jumped.
A second later I was on the other side, and in Handsome Guy's arms.
"I knew you could do it!!" he yelled as he pulled the rope out of my arms and kissed me.
I stood there in utter disbelief.
Then I looked back at the tree that I had just jumped from.
And then I looked down at the instructor, on the ground 30 feet below me, who just smiled and gave me a thumbs up.
I did it?
I actually did it!
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By the 4th and purple level, I was still scared, but determined.
Handsome Guy laughed at me as he noticed that I started coming up with my own rules on how to get through the trickiest part of the game. Instead of climbing through the rings, I would unsnap my harness attachments and then re-attach them once I passed the ring. I was very aware that I was doing this 40 feet above ground, and at points along the game, I was completely unattached.
"Babe!!" he yelled, "You're not supposed to do that! You're going to get disqualified, or worse yet, fall out of the tree!!"
"Brad. I'm fine!" I yelled back, "Trust me! This is EXACTLY how you're supposed to do it!"
But as I looked away from him, and unsnapped my harness for the 4th time, I smirked.
There was no way in HELL that this was the way I was supposed to be doing it. But folks.....I was actually SURVIVING the Treetop Games!?? Sooo....I was kind of unstoppable at that moment. And Handsome Guy knew that.
So he just laughed and shook his head as I weaved in and out of the hanging rings, unsnapping and re-snapping my harness.
I had passed level purple!!
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I am happy to report that I had completed the ENTIRE thing!
I was smart, I was brave, and I was fearless throughout the whole adventure!!
And I had completed EVERY ....SINGLE....GAME.
Wellllllll...... except for the last one. Level Black.
But that one was just stupid.
It was like......50 feet above ground and you had to have muscles in like, your armpits, to get through it.
So, TOTALLY unreasonable, right!??
So for the last half hour of our adventure, I sat happily on a rock with my head in my hands watching as Handsome Guy completed the final level way, wayyyyy up in the sky.
And through the biggest smile, I let out a huge sigh.
I was completely content. And SO proud of myself. I did something that I never thought in a million years I would ever accomplish.
And even though I didn't make it ALL the way to the end..... it didn't really matter.
Because when it came to the Treetop Games, I truly believe ................that the odds were ever in my favour ;)
The End :)
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