I Ain't Afraid!

Home sweet home!  Drew and I just returned from a fabulous trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands.  It has by far been one of the best trips we have taken to date.  Each day was packed with different activities like an all-day snorkel and boating trip, night sailing, ziplining, and a visit to the local aquarium.

I have recently discovered that one of my favorite outdoor activities is ziplining. Whoa!  Standing on a platform harnessed and attached to a single metallic wire that you entrust with your life is a rush for sure.  Leaping off and hanging on tight takes some courage without a doubt.  Because Drew and I had been zipping before, we felt like old pros surrounded by frightened novices who talked a big game on the ground but stood with wobbly knees and closed eyes and gasped a few panicked breaths once standing with their toes hanging over the edge.   I, on the other hand, shot my hand up in the air when asked, "Who's going first?"  Oh I'm so brave.

So when Drew signed us up to swim with sea lions you would have thought that this would be a piece of cake.  I wasn't crazy about the idea but tried to reassure myself by looking at the photographs of children balancing balls on the sea lions' noses and wrapping their arms around their necks.  If the kids can do it, it must be harmless, right?

That's what I told myself as I sat through the orientation on the dos and don'ts once we entered the sea lion pool. 

"Just listen to what I tell you and you'll be fine, Lynn," the trainer tried to reassure me sensing my hesitation. 

But I was just never really into this whole thing.  And Omar the sea lion knew it.  Within the first ten seconds of us being in the water this huge creature dove in and swam right up to my left thigh to take a nibble.  The trainer quickly regained his attention and got him back on deck leaving me completely stupefied.

Yep.  He got me.  An oh-so-cute sea lion.  The 3 bruises on my leg prove it.  

Believe it or not I opted to stick with the encounter for the full hour.  Omar certainly didn't have my trust but I couldn't get the pictures of the 10 year olds smiling and kissing the aquatic mammals out of my mind.  It had just looked so innocent. 

After pictures of my leg were taken and insurance paperwork complete, we left the sea lion pool and passed 3 kids in a pool with sharks.  SHARKS!  Every ounce of my being wanted to throw them a lifeline and drag them out of there.  But their curiosity seemed to overcome any fear.  They were touching them, feeding them and asking the trainer questions about where they live, what they eat and how long they have been there.  I stood against the rail in amazement wondering if some forms of fear are learned behaviors.  I certainly had learned that I'll leave all the cute and cuddly looking sea lions alone.

Don't expect me to be swimming with anything anytime soon.  No sea lions, sharks, or even dolphins.  Nada.  I'll leave it all to the fearless kids while I bravely go zipping.