Parasailing in Riviera Maya, Mexico

         There is something incredibly magnificent about traveling to a different country for the first time. In a sense it is like having the ability to see for the first time. Every thing is new and attention grabbing. As humans we tend to get so caught up in day to day life that we forget to stop and appreciate what is around us. Traveling to a new place has a way of awakening those who have become all to bogged down by day to day stresses. Visiting Riviera Maya did exactly this for me. 

       Everyone was welcomed with a warm hello upon arriving to Mexico. Also a much needed wave of warm tropical air that is all too unfamiliar in December in Michigan. The colors seem so bright and vibrant in contrast to the drab monochromatic world that the winter sometimes has to offer as the sun is hidden from us for months at a time. It is reminiscent of the snow melting to reveal the first colors of spring, however travel does not allow for "gradual snowmelt". You are thrust directly into what seems to be another universe.

     
         That new universe allows for an escape from the usual, and the chance to try and experience things that you have never done before. Suddenly everything around you becomes of the utmost importance. The directions the palm trees are blowing seems to be captivating. How often do I sit to view the swaying of the oak trees in my home town? I begin to ask myself.


   

   

     Creatures that are not common in Michigan become so enthralling however they are most likely as common as the squirrels that scamper my hometown. During my exploration of this new and exciting place I was presented with the opportunity to parasail over the ocean. With little hesitance I decided that this was an opportunity that I could not miss.



        Every image of parasailing that I had ever encountered was of overjoyed people strapped safely in a harness with life jackets, safety cords, and helmets to keep them safe from the dangers of falling from the sky into the ocean. My preexisting beliefs and expectations of the experience that I should have did not at all match up with what was about to happen ( one of the most exhilarating, and terrifying moments of my life).

   


           The harness that I had imagined was no where to be found and there was not even a life jacket to be offered. In fact the sail was no more than a vibrantly patterned sail that had a chain of towels attached to be used as a seat. We were each warned to carefully hold on as we were pulled from the water. As my height ascended so did my heart rate which was beginning to race beyond belief. Once the height of the sail reached the maximum I was able to see for miles a landscape that was completely new to me. There was a sense of freedom knowing that there was nothing between me and the vast ocean that I would soon have to dive into to once again reach the boat.
 

         

       Although the experience was incredibly outside of what seemed comfortable (as well as safe), I would do it again in a heart beat. Maybe next time with proper safety gear!