Bravery is a thing all people have, but only some are able to access. I was able to access this bravery by conquering my worst fear and riding The Sasquatch. It definitely wasn't easy, but nothing is easy. Sometimes you just have to push a little harder to break through that wall so you can do something you never would have believed yourself doing. The Great Escape used to scream anxiety and pain into my thoughts, a place in which I would never want to step foot. Now it is the best place in the world, and I just couldn't imagine living without it.

I stepped out of my car and looked up at the tall structure ahead of me. The way I was staring at it it almost seemed to be staring back down at me, but everything was a blur that day as I struggle to remember even to this day the horror I felt stepping out of my car. My eyes soared from ride to ride, my heart seeming to pound louder with each ride I looked at. Suddenly from a distance I heard my mom shout, “Hayley, it's time to put on your sunscreen, you don't want to burn in the hot sun, do you?” These words took my eyes off the danger ahead of me as I slowly started smothering myself in the half melted gooey sunscreen. My best friend, Kaitlyn, who had already finished putting on her sunscreen, was now waiting anxiously for me to finish putting on mine, and I realized I should probably hurry up putting on my sunscreen so I didn't keep my friend waiting.

As we were walking up to check in we passed a little pond. The pond looked magical, with the sparkling blue water and the brite fluorescent green lily pads floating innocently on the still sparkling water. As I passed the pond it almost reassured myself a little bit and calmed me down for the day ahead.

We had just gotten in line for our first ride of the day, and in my opinion the one I was dreading the most, The Sasquatch. The line was awfully long, which reassured me, giving me the time to grab my courage and pull it up from inside my body. Slowly but surely the line got shorter and shorter right in front of my eyes. Before I knew it, I was standing right in front of the ride struggling to find my breath as my friend debated which seat we should sit in to have the best view of the park. As we sat in our seats I started maneuvering with the bar, trying to get it secure around my body. Pulling and pulling, the more I tightened it the more I couldn’t breath, yet I felt comforted by this, hoping it would keep me safe.

Slowly but surely the ride attendant came around checking seat belts, and before I knew it, she was back at the booth; we were taking off. My teeth clenched as the ride slowly started going up, my heart pounding so hard I felt like it could pop right out of my body, but I managed to keep control, not wanting to embarrass myself in front of my friend. As the ride neared the top I heard a bang, and the ride stopped. My body sat motionless, not even a heartbeat thumping as I sat at the top of the ride, my feet dangling into the open air. It seemed at this point that we would never go back down, and then it happened…

My body dropped, sending all of the veins in my feet up to my head. I felt a butterfly sensation in my stomach as I plummeted to the ground. As much as this experience was scary, I also started to enjoy it. I felt my hair move through the wind, and I started screaming with joy just like everyone else, but as soon as it had started it had ended. The next thing I knew I was hopping out of my seat and making my way to the exit. My mind was filled with excitement and joy as I walked over to my parents. That was the best thing I had ever done, and without my friend being there I would have never gone on that ride or stepped out of my comfort zone. I had learned a valuable lesson that day: you can't fear what lies ahead of you before you actually get to experience it for yourself.

As I look back on that day I feel good about myself. When you get to experience something that you're not always used to and that you might be a little uncomfortable with, it teaches you to explore the world you live in and not just like the same few things. While you might not always like the outcome of things, at least you get to experience it, and you're not going to regret it when you get older.

 

 

 

 

-Hayley H.