Conquering fear one zipline at a time

This was my birthday gift from Sunshine: ziplining!! I am deathly afraid of heights so this was going to be very interesting. We made an (almost) two-hour drive to get to this place, but in the end it was well worth it!

You can't really tell, but my stomach was doing some MAJOR butterflies when this picture was taken. I really didn't know if I'd be able to go through with it. It looked like fun, for sure...but it also looked scary as hell.

This was a pic taken just moments before launching ourselves onto the first zipline. Obviously, the safety helmet was NOT working for me and my massive dome (sigh).

As you would expect, I made Sunshine go first (lol). I just didn't have it in me to step off that platform first and hover over 240 feet above the ground.

AND SHE'S OFF!! Yeah...this is Sunshine about to cross a 1,100-foot zipline over 240 feet above the ground. Her lack of fear gave me the strength to want to go next.

If you squint, you can still see her high above the trees below.

This was my look after completing the first zipline. My heart was pounding and I was literally weak in the knees. I was in a state of disbelief because I couldn't believe that I had stepped off that platform and into the abyss...floating over air. I was terrified, but had overcome my fear. Looking back now, I still can't believe I did it.

If you squint, you can see me making my way down the second zipline. This one was steeper and faster (zipping down nine stories!), but it wasn't nearly as scary for me. In fact, this one was incredibly fun.

I look at this picture and can barely believe that's me...ENJOYING the experience of ziplining down this huge hill. At this point, all I wanted to do was enjoy the moment as much as possible because I wanted Sunshine to be proud of me, doing my best to overcome and conquere my fears. Knowing she was at the bottom waiting for me made all the difference in the world.

Trust me...this thumbs up was a lot more genuine that the first one. I was happy and excited and thrilled to have been able to accomplish something like this. I think "stoked" might have been the word for this picture.

I never in a million years would have done something like this with anybody other than Sunshine. She inspires me on a daily basis and truly helps me become a better person.