Screaming across Lake Pontchartrain

I’m terrified of water, especially water that I can’t see the bottom of. Lakes and rivers and oceans are a no-go for me. 

It’s a phobia. 

I’m mildly to moderately afraid of heights, and won’t walk near a railing in a mall that overlooks floors beneath it. (Looking at you, Galleria in Dallas. That’s totally creepy.)

Yet taking a flight in a tiny airplane over Lake Pontchartrain didn’t bother me at all. I loved it and would do it again in a heartbeat.

I’m kind of weird like that. 

"I don't ike it."

I'm going to transcribe exactly what my 3-year-old niece talked about yesterday when I saw her.

She had an elaborate story she told me, about half of which I understood. The other half was in 3-year-old gibberish.

Something about a water bucket, Papa tricking her, and her getting her hair wet. Also, the water was cold.

Little K quote: "I don't ike it."

Me: Little K, who did that to you?

"Papa."

Me: Did Papa do it on purpose?

Little K: "Yeah Papa do it and got my hair wet."

She'll be talking about that water bucket until we go back to the water park next summer.

A certain aunt was standing nearby when the water bucket incident occurred, and a certain aunt stood there and laughed instead of saving her.

That's what aunts are for.

On Para sailing

I chickened out of zip lining in Cancun because I thought I'd be too scared.

I learned recently I have a little problem with heights. It involved having a panic attack while walking up a grain bin out of state.

Heights? No thank you. I prefer land, please.

In Cancun I was sitting on the beach, reading a book, relaxing. A co-worker asked me if I was feeling brave.

Say what?

He offered me his spot para sailing.

Sign me up!

I do better with situations if they're not planned in advance sometimes. I had maybe 20 or 30 minutes of warning before it happened.

I figured if it's your time to go, you might as well go out doing something with an awesome view in a beautiful setting.

Is it the safest thing I've ever done? No, probably not.

Would I do it again?

Absolutely!

I loved para sailing. I'm not sure how or why I loved it so much, since I'm deathly afraid of water and mildly afraid of heights.

But hey, it worked.

Towards the end of the ride, they bring you down close to the water and then dip your legs in it. I could hear my co-worker's wife on the boat, telling them that I don't like water and hey, don't do that!

It made me laugh.

Getting dipped in the water was my favorite part. The water was nice and warm. Peaceful, even.

My list of firsts that happened on this vacation: Para sailing, being on a boat, being on a jet-ski (that guy was crazy, by the way), swimming in a dark hole in the ground, seeing a sunrise over the ocean, and probably some other stuff that I'm forgetting.

Can't beat that view.

I'm flying!