Although I’ve visited six continents, I’ve definitely been an armchair adventure traveler, sticking mostly to hikes, and only reading about exciting possibilities. Miraval’s On a Swing and a Prayer challenge sounded interesting, but I knew I’d have to see it first before actually committing myself to do it. I think all 8 of us felt the same way, as there was a very definite pause when we were asked to decide who would go first, etc. It was no surprise that I chose to be last in line.
Picture two tall poles perhaps 45 ft. high, with a cable between them. We were hoisted up about 40 ft., clutching the end of a cable in one hand. The idea is to let go of the cable, and symbolically let go of a worry or problem in life at the same time. Physically, letting go meant a steep drop down, some pendulum swings and then circular swings. Mentally, we could let go of whatever we wanted to. The view up top of the gorgeous Catalina Mountains was serenely quiet and beautiful, but it was a long way down. The cable hurt my hand, so letting go was surprisingly easy, and the “ride” was great. Several of our group thought that the big drop and the first few swings were like a roller coaster ride, with the same stomach dropping feeling. I doubt I’ll become a roller coaster fan, but I didn’t think the big drop down was too bad. I’d do it again, and maybe even go first!
We all worked together as a team, pulling the ropes to raise each other up, to help each other down, and to cheer each of us on. I think I was the oldest of the group, someone else was the heaviest, and each of us found we could do more than we thought we could. Age and size need not matter to the adventurer. Who knows what any of us might try next?
Zip lining sounds intriguing to me, and I’d love to try zorbing, which my daughter raves about, but I don’t think you’ll ever read about me bungee jumping or sky diving. Meeting the challenge of On a Swing and a Prayer, opened up lots of possibilities for future adventures.
