To many, riding a roller coaster is a walk in the park. A non-event. I am not one of them. At least until the last day of 2011 when I discovered how it was to be an adrenaline junkie.
Back in 2005, my family visited the Gold Coast theme parks for the first time (Movieworld and Seaworld). None of my boys wanted to go on the big rides. Ariel was not a fan of those adrenaline pumping rides. So we just went on the moderate and family-oriented ones. I don’t want to use the words “sedate” or “tame” because the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster was far from that. It scared the heck out of us. Scooby-Doo was a hair-raising roller coaster in semi-darkness masked in a loveable dog’s character. I think that dashed any scrap of grit my boys had.
Then we went on a big trip to Disneyland in 2009. Read up on our adventure if you are soon heading to California. Again, the hubby and the two boys (then 10 and 11 years old) didn’t care for the the big rides. It was not the long queue that deterred us since we had access to Fastpass. We were just not into it (we meaning them, really). And of course my mummy powers failed to convince Gab to join me. Having had nil experience in thrill rides, I could not very well say – “C’mon Gab, I’ve done it before and it wasn’t scary at all”. Even if I did say that, I doubt that it would have been enough to convince a 10 year old.
In my heart, I really really wanted to go on thrill rides. They are so un-ordinary. Isn’t that the reason why people go on holidays? To do things they don’t do everyday? But what of safety, I hear you ask. I am pretty sure the rides are safe or they would not be in operation, right? So what kept me from riding? A large part of me felt guilty with the thought of going at it alone. Surely I can’t leave Ariel and the kids behind. It would be akin to abandonment. That would make me a bad mother, wouldnt it?
But we’ve flown all of 9,463 miles to America, and paid precious hundreds of dollars for Disneyland. I wanted more than photos and the Indiana Jones ride. To my mind, we didn’t get our money’s worth for the Disneyland tickets. Needless to say, Disneyland was not the highlight of our US trip. Instead, it was Legoland, Yosemite and a divine place called Monterey. There was also Medieval Times, Google and the Apple headquarters.
Fast forward to 2011 into our third theme park holiday. This time we set our sights on Dreamworld and Whitewater World. My friend Sol and her family are regular visitors to the Gold Coast theme parks. This mother of three goes on all the rides her teenagers go on. I was inspired. I resolved to “conquer my fear”, as the cliche goes.
I decided I can handle The Giant Drop and The Tower of Terror 2.
The night before the visit, I went online to watch videos of the rides. I was psyching myself up. Admittedly, I steered clear of rides that make 360-degree turns. This was my first, I had to go easy. On our first day at Dreamworld, I eyed the two rides with anticipation. As usual, no one in my brood considered coming with me. Did I mention that my family were not fans of thrill rides? However, the 90 minute wait dampened my resolve. Instead, I told Ariel that we should return another day 2 hours before closing time. I predicted that the queue will be shorter then.
I was right. “What are you going to do while waiting?”, I asked Ariel and the boys. “Oh we will just eat Krispy Kreme and chill.” A typically sedate plan, I thought. My boys are fantastically calm creatures. And here I was feeling like Angelina Jolie’s Lara Croft. All gungho and feeling like a daredevil. I can do this and I will. My new mantra for the new year was – Why not? I was going to get my money’s worth.
At the Tower of Terror, the wait was a mere 30 minutes which flew by in a flash. I almost chickened out in the queue. Most of the people there were in groups of family or friends. A bunch of teenagers were in front of me. A couple was behind me. I didn’t know what they thought of me, being alone in the queue. Did they see a free spirit? Or did they see a scared middle-aged woman pretending to be hip. I certainly felt scared and determined at the same time. My hands were shaking when I put the seat belt on. The ride was over in maybe 30 seconds. Dreamworld’s description – An eerie silence lasts for just milliseconds before the car blasts backwards rocketing guests out of a 206m tunnel at rapid speed hitting up to 161 km/h in seven seconds flat. My heart went to my throat. I screamed. And I felt fear. It was exhilarating. It was refreshing.
I was so excited, I immediately ran to The Giant Drop. I couldn’t wait to get on it. The queue to free fall? None. It was the 31st of December. Most people were preparing for the New Year’s Eve celebrations. Hence, Dreamworld was not busy. At the Giant Drop, a pulley took us to an elevation equivalent to 39 stories or 119 meters. Once we reached the top, we waited for something like an eternity. There was a minute’s wait of nervous anticipation. I didn’t know whether I was hardly breathing or if I was breathing hard. I left my thongs below so my bare feet were dangling 119 meters above ground. I crossed my ankles tightly. I did not look down. I forced myself to look far into the distance of tree tops and houses surrounding Dreamworld. Then suddenly, we were released. Puff! I thought I became weightless for two seconds. Then I was falling so rapidly, I think I left my heart up there. Back on solid ground, my legs were trembling as I got to my feet.
Will I do it again? Certainly. Will I recommend that you do it? Oh yes. Why not? Did this make me a better person? Perhaps. I reveled in the knowledge that I took a step forward and swallowed my own fear. I’m not sure if I conquered fear. I faced it, yes. And more importantly, it’s OK to be alone. My family need not be a hindrance to things I want to experience. The exhilaration is like no other. Oops, I lie. Giving birth is at the top of the list. You know what I mean, right?
Like I always say. Never stop exploring. Yourself.
This year, say hello to your adventurous inner self. The free spirit that was you before children and mortgage came along.
(Footnote: My friend’s illness has made me acutely aware and wanting more out of life. Think big. Live big.)
Chiqui*Kat says
I wish I could “Been there, done that, why not!” talk myself into it as easily. But this is what I’ve learned and continue to learn: overcoming a Fear doesn’t make the fear less, well, fear*full. It simply* confirms this to my lizard brain: “See. You didn’t die.” Now you can go at it again. Or not. Your choice. This time, without being so ignorantlt fear*full. Educated Fearful na! 😀
You know I’m doing it. Yes, EF style!!!