Even scared people can go travel great heights

Friday afternoon I climbed into the back of a van carrying six other people in it. I sat in my usual place, in between the twins at the very back of the van. There we sat, for hours. It was only supposed to be 1.5 hours, but that Dutch traffic turns every small travel into a trip across the Atlantic. Anyway, we finally arrived. Seven people in an attraction park.

We had a house in which we were going to stay for the weekend. When we walked into the house I wanted to laugh...or cry. I'm not sure which. This house was made with families in mind, just not our family. What a cute little cabin. A front room served as a living area and kitchen. Adorable. Tiny. Then there was a bedroom. In the bedroom there were two bunkbeds. Hmmm...seven people is a number greater than four beds. My mind began to work in overdrive. Well, Jack and Danielle were definitely not fitting in these beds. Fortunately, the couch in the living room doubled as a big peoples bed. So, that brought the number of people to five.

Five people is a number greater than four beds. Fortunately, Mama and Papa know about such circumstances and they brought an air bed. Karsten slept on the air bed. Feike slept on a bottom bunk, and Sybren slept on the other. Djura slept on a top bunk, by the door so that she wouldn't walk all over Karsten if she needed the bathroom in the middle of the night. I got the other top bunk, so that I could step on Karsten. Just kidding! I mean, I really did have the top bunk, which isn't odd because I've actually had many a top bunk in my short, but lengthening, life. No problem. Of course, I did say in my last post that I would never have a boy roomate until I got married. Well, I had three boy roomates this weekend. Hee hee. And it wasn't that bad, really. Maybe I'll consider it for the future. WAY JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!

So, there we were in Slagharen. Seven people, four of which had never before been to an amusement park (the kids), two of which needed an adult on almost every ride (the twins), one that wanted to go on almost every ride but couldn't because he was too young (Syb), another two that become very easily motion sickness (the smaller of these was afraid of the dark...Mom and daughter), one that likes everything high and fast (Papa), and one that is afraid of heights but still goes on the darn rides anyway (me).

So, yes, it made for a very interesting three days. On the second day we did spend a lot of time in the swimming pool. That was very nice. The kids are still too young for them to all go on these rides, so it's not very easy to walk through the park and explain to them that they aren't allowed to go on certain rides. But other than that, it was fun. We all were able to go on the Ferris Wheel, one of my greater fears...it's WAY high up!! And on a ski-lift cabel type ride...also way, way high up. I rode with Djura, who is absolutely not afraid of heights and has no problem with looking straight down, or turning around (causing the seat to rock back and forth!). That was one part of kids that I ended up finding amusing. Djura has absolutely no fear of heights. But she's terrified of rides that are a bit dark inside. She wouldn't go on the under-sea adventure with me! Crazy!

Me. I had fun. I don't mind riding the carousel 2 times in a row. Three times is a little mch. I manage to handle the ferris wheels and the other high, slow rides. Of course, I did get a little daring yesterday, towards the end of the weekend. There was this other ride. It looked like a cage in the shape of a boat. Or you could say it looked like a boat that was barred, on bot sides and on the top. Why? Because the ride goes upside down...and stays that way for a little while.

On this boat you are fastened in with a lap bar, which comes over your lap and is supposed to hold you there. I made certain that mine was as tight as possible. Then the ride operator shut the cage doors. And then we were moving. Up. Way up!! And after the boat reached to a point that was more upside down than right-side up, it swung back down and up the other direction. Kinda like a way, massively HUGE swing. And it kept swinging back and forth until we were no longer swinging but just kept going. Upside down, right-side up. Upside down, right-side up. Immense circles at a very fast speed. My hair. It was standing on end, flying in face, blocking my vision, moving again right when I had to look up in order to see down. After going is circles a few times I got used to the movement and the shifting of gravity's pull on me and I was comfortable enough to look around. It was so cool! I was able to pick out which little people's on the ground belonged to me. And then, it was over.

I got off the ride, walking at a normal speed. I found Jack, and accepted the cup of coffee that he handed me. My hands were shaking, but I was proud. I went on that insane ride on my own. And really, the worst part of the ride was watching a kid across from me spit into the air when we hung there upside down. And then myy greatest fear wasn't the height, but the possibility that he would spit again...at the wrong time.