push it to the limit!

Okay, I've gotta start off by admitting that I'm kinda a scaredy cat when it comes to things I shouldn't be scared of. I won't get on a bike if my foot can't completely touch the ground, in case I need a quick escape. I get nervous around large collections of kitchen knives. And I've got to stay ridiculously far behind the ledge of subway and train tracks.

So for you daredevils out there who have gone hand gliding and skydiving or skateboarded on rails and ski jumped, I'm gonna sound like a major wimp... but it's all relative, right? :)

Last month, I spent a week in Costa Rica, and for some reason, there, I was able to conquer tons of my fears. Maybe part of it was being away from home and ready for an adventure. Maybe it was just that it was time to try something new. And as silly as it sounds, I credit Harry Potter's bravery for part of it (I had just finished reading Book 7 and wanted to be just like the wizarding trio!)

Suddenly, I found myself hiking through muddy rain forests filled with venomous frogs and snakes (I'm not an animal person, period!), scuba diving in waters near whales and sharks (and I have a really odd fear of fish!), and probably what gave me the biggest rush of all was riding the zip line over the mountain ravines of the Monteverde Cloud Forest.

For those of you who aren't familiar with zip line (I hadn't heard of it until I got down there!), basically you're hooked onto a cable line with just a pulley and then you speed from one side to another suspended thousands of feet in the air!

Never a big fan of fast speeds and heights, I was quite anxious on the drive up the unpaved road to the top of the mountain. But once I got there, everything changed. As I stepped onto the ledge of the first zip line, I don't even remember thinking much about what I was about to do. I just went for it. And to my surprise, I found myself loving the speed and adrenaline. And I even took a moment to look down below me and soak in the incredible view of the Costa Rican forest!

When I originally heard there were 11 zip lines, I just wanted to get it over with. But when it got down to the last few, I found myself wishing we had more. There was just such a thrill and excitement to it. But more than that, I think it was realizing that I could actually enjoy and love something that I had been fearful of! And it suddenly made me feel like I could conquer anything! (And as Corbin Bleu sings, it does feel good to "Push it to the Limit!" Ha!)

Have you guys ever conquered something you were afraid of? And how did it make you feel? I'd love hear your stories... and maybe next time I'll be able to move onto hand gliding! Eeks!

Can't wait to hear from you!
Rachel
Entertainment Editor

P.S. If you want to check out how zip line works exactly, check out this video! :)

Zip Line