That feeling kids get when they wake up on Christmas morning? Max had it.
He had it the day before we went zip-lining. I heard, “Daddy, I can’t WAIT for tomorrow”, more times than I can remember. In the weeks leading up to this trip he told anyone who asked, or listened to him, that he was most excited about zip-lining in Costa Rica. Then he’d continue the conversation by saying he was excited, because he had zip-lined before. Ha. Whatever.
His vast zip-lining experience involved a 50 ft. cable set up in the Powell's back yard in Collingwood. At the most, it’s maybe 10 ft. off the ground. 10 feet.
But this one, this was the real deal. High above the canopy of the rainforest surrounding the Arenal Volcano, it had 15 different cable lines ranging in distance from 30 ft to 1300 ft.
Yep, why learn to walk when you can run.
And run he did. Wanting to go first out of the 3 of us (he wouldn't let anyone spoil his day by experiencing it before he did) until I convinced him to let me go ahead so I could take some pictures, he whoo-hoo’d and screamed with excitement. Laughing every time we met him at the next platform. The word, ‘AWE-SOME!’, his adjective of choice. Looking back, spinning around, taking his brake hand off to go faster, he was fearless, and loving every minute of it.
And so was I.
That’s all I really want on this trip. To watch them experience things they never have and completely embrace them. To see through their eyes. Their reactions, questions and challenges. To sense their joy, their curiosity, their confusion, their excitement.
To be inspired by them.
They’ve convinced me to do it again this week in Manuel Antonio Park. It didn’t take much.
Can hardly wait.