costa rica,  quepos

pura vida: the moment you’ve all been waiting for

theromanticRight as we settled into our gorgeous Quepos homebase, we decided to risk it all and schedule our ziplining excursion for the very next morning. The staff at Los Altos proudly recommended MidWorld, and with one brief phone call and plans for an early departure the next morning, our lives were officially on the line (ba dum chaaa, pun intended).

For our possible last meal, we ordered an embarrassing amount of room service and binged on seafood while watching Missy Franklin take home gold. I felt confident that this was an acceptable last night on earth should I plunge to my death the next day, and the next morning, I woke feeling  surprisingly calm.

…that is, all the way up until we were strapped in and got the full briefing of what our day would entail.

On the outside I may look confident and badass (just go with it), but inside I was dying a slow death.

This is where the necessary praises come in for MidWorld. The staff was absolutely amazing from the moment they picked us up at the hotel. Our group consisted of a mix of people, including a family with two really little kids…one of whom was HORRIFIED. We’re talking even more afraid than I was–girl was straight up refusing to put on her equipment. Jokes aside, I had a lot of personal qualms with this family, and I’m pretty sure if I was on staff at Midworld I would have asked them to leave, but the team handled it like pros. The little girl could not have been less excited about the experience, and the staff turned her mood completely around.

After a mini safety lesson, we were apparently ready to go. I personally felt more petrified knowing what the day would entail, and I sensed that the hubs was less confident, too. Luckily, he kept his brave face on or else I probably would have bolted straight for the infinity pool and soaked myself into raisinhood for the next few days, never to leave our Los Altos compound again.

Instead, I took a few deep breaths, watched them send the little girl off into oblivion, and decided that I could do this.

And then that all went out the window. These are the real faces of fear, my friends:

And also the real face of patience.

To be perfectly honest, I kept my eyes shut tight for the first run, positive the line was going to snap or I was going to hit a tree, or something. Luckily, though, the MidWorld team was completely prepared for my neuroses. They assured me that I would hate the first three runs, but the fourth would be my time to shine–by then, I wouldn’t be scared anymore. I didn’t believe them.

Please, click to enlarge so you can really see our facial expressions.

After the third run, though, something magical happened: it really did suddenly switch to being more fun and less horrifying. I was able to keep my eyes open without fearing a bug would fly into my cornea (this the way my brain works, people), and was able to let loose–just a little.

It was suddenly so much fun that I wasn’t even mad when they SURPRISED US with a TREE RAPPEL. (Ok, I was a little mad). If I have any qualms with MidWorld, it’s that they need to reassess their idea of the word “surprise.”

There’s no question that this was a huge stretch for me, but something I’m really, really glad we did. Though I can’t say that I’d zipline again (Murphy’s Law means the line snaps next time, right? I maybe don’t understand Murphy’s Law), but I’m thrilled to say that we made it through and I have MidWorld to thank.

Also something to note: MidWorld brakes your line for you. I had no idea that this would be something to consider (mainly because I refused to do any advanced research for fear of seeing one too many death stats), but I’m SOO glad that they did. Maybe other ziplining aficionados can explain this better, but apparently most companies don’t do this and you have to brake yourself? I clearly have no idea what the alternative to this is, and while I assume it’s not splatting into a tree, this is what I had pictured. So: more points for MidWorld and something to keep in mind should you, too, plan to go ziplining in Costa Rica.

Next up: an evening booze cruise complete with Belgian backpackers and a ten foot waterslide.

xo!

the romantic

– All photos in this post are credited to MidWorld. We opted for the photo package and I don’t regret it for a second. When else would I see what I look like when I’m so scared I want to vomit?

The Lazy Travelers are two transatlantic best friends who have mastered the art of exploring a new city. Though Ashley is based in London and Carolyn is in Philadelphia, we'll use any excuse to reunite around the world. We’re professional bar hoppers, pub crawlers, and food testers, and you’ll never see us zipping around, checking things off a list of “must-sees.”

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