YOU DID WHAT?!

You won't believe what I did this weekend! I traveled with the school and I went Kayaking and Ghyll Scrambling (Waterfall Climbing). It was amazing! I don't know how many times I almost chickened out though. I'm so glad I didn't!

We all left Thursday night after dinner for Ambleside, England. The Lake District is this incredible region of mountains and lakes where over 25% of Britain's population visits each year. Our Hostel was the Ambleside Youth Hostel. . . it was alright. Nothing fancy, but it was fun. After our 5-hour bus ride Thursday evening we decided to head to bed early.

Friday morning Daphne, Lauren, Kylie and I walked a mile into town to buy "waterproofs" for kayaking and ghyll scrambling. We ate delicious apple turnovers at a little bakery, then we went back to our hostel for a nap. That afternoon we took a ferry boat to Bowness. We ate a snack at the pub there and played in the arcade, which was really more like a casino. There were ducks and swans all over the beach at Bowness. Daphne and Kylie just happened to be frightened of all forms of birds, so we made them take pictures with the birds.

Friday night we took Sonya out to dinner for her birthday. After dinner we walked to a small bar called Churchill's, where they were having Karaoke. Kylie, Lauren and I sang Bon Jovi's "Livin' On a Prayer." It was awesome. We did a fantastic job. Our friends all took pictures of us.

Saturday morning we got up early for our outdoor adventures. As most of you know, I'm not really an outdoorsy girl. I love sports and such, but I hate strenuous activities that involve bugs and sweat and getting hurt. And as most of you also know, my best friend Lauren Doerner is even less outdoorsy than myself. (Same is true of my friend Kylie.) There were so many times when we almost skipped out on the activities we had signed up for.

Our first activity was Kayaking. Our instructor Mikey showed us how to use our paddle. We had to all stand in the grass and practice swinging our paddles. We all got lifejackets and big plastic gloves. Next, we took our little kayak boats to the edge of land and we worked our way into the small opening. Before I knew it, I was out on the lake... no turning back. It was amazing, although it was a little shakey at first. I got the hang of it quickly and I had so much fun. Today my arms are really aching. Lauren and Kylie both had a great time, too. At the end of our "lesson" our instructor Mikey had us try some dare-devil moves. I had to stand up in my kayak with my arms straight out. It was hard. I almost fell in.

After kayaking we really wanted a nap, but we only had an hour to get ready and get on the bus for Langdale. Once in Langdale we put on harnesses and yellow helmets. The large group divided into small groups of 6 or 7. Before I knew it I was hiking through and up waterfalls on this giant mountain. Our tour guide Neil was really fun. I only fell 3 times. I have several bruises and minor cuts, but nothing too serious.

Just when I thought we'd head back down the mountain, we approached this very vertical waterfall. My friend Dave said, "We are sooo doing this." I thought, no way is Neil going to let us do this. Well, he did. Neil climbed up the drier part of the waterfall, then he tied a rope to a large rock and threw the other end to us which we tied to our waist harness thing. Before I knew it I was on my way up the waterfall, praying every step of the way. It was sooo amazing and so scary at the same time. I was the first girl to go up the waterfall side. The cold water was pouring down. I was so afraid if I looked up to see where I was going I would lose a contact. My hands were so cold from the water and I could barely grip the rocks. The scariest part was when you couldn't find the next ledge with your foot. I still can't believe I did it. It was so awesome to reach the top and give my tour guide a high-five. Hooray!

The only bad part about my weekend: no cameras on the kayaking and ghyll scrambling... too wet. I was so sad. I love pictures so much. Nobody's going to believe that I climbed this waterfall! I promise, I did!