Life lessons from the Enchanted Kingdom

Anchors Away. This is the make-believe pirate ship that’ll give you butterflies in the stomach (and waaay too many of them). Everyone was patiently waiting for their turn to this gut-wrenching feature, and for a split second, I wondered why all of us were doing that. Then it dawned on me – all of us were after that few minutes of thrill. That exhilarating feeling of having butterflies in the stomach (is someone in love right now?). That moment when we can all scream to our heart’s content, and maybe put our hands in the air and tell the world, hey, I got this! All of us were after that few minutes of happiness. Most of the time, the best things in life come with patience and sacrifice. Looking at the things I achieved in life, I realized they were all the results of my hard work and tears and sleepless nights, plus maybe a thousand cups or so of coffee.

Jungle Log Jam. This ride is kind of scary for me, only because there’s no seatbelt and there’s a steep drop right before it comes to a halt. During this steep drop, Johanne my boss said the trick was to lean back, so it would feel like we’re sliding rather than falling. It was still scary, but the “leaning back” trick actually worked. I guess, it never really hurts to follow advice. I did a lot of questionable life choices in the past, and I do not intend on making them again. So these days, even as an adult, instead of doing things on my own sometimes I ask around. Especially for important and life-changing decisions. Believe me, there really is no harm in asking for advice. Not sure who to ask? Try your mom!

Air Race. I didn’t get to try Air Race the first time I went to EK, so I have no idea how extreme it would be considering that the riders are turned upside down. It looked fun though, so despite my hesitations, I decided to give it a try. Besides, it was too late to turn back since I was already standing in line for quite a good number of minutes. And yes! It was absolute fun. It was a bit overwhelming at first but it made me think of what aerial yoga might feel like, and yeah, it was awesome. Many times in my life, I’m too scared to try new things and refused to leave the comfort that my norm has given me. Doubts cloud my head all the time, but I realized that at the end of the day, nothing worse than an overwhelming experience could ever happen. So, go forth, seek an adventure and never be too scared to try new things.

Rialto. This is just a few minutes worth of 4D movie experience. This attraction didn’t just allow my imagination to go wild, but it forced me to believe that I was part of what I was seeing on the screen. The character falls, I fall too. The bird got a splash of water in the face, I get that too. In life, I know I just have to believe something, and it’s mine. There’s a lot of things that could happen – even magic – when we believe.

Flying Fiesta. Most people standing in line for this attraction are kids, simply because it’s just a higher (and electronic) version of a playground swing. There’s no need to scream, just feel the rush of the cool breeze on your face as it makes your hair dance in the air. Sounds romantic? Absolutely. It reminds me that if I want to try something new, it doesn’t always have to be too extreme and adventurous just to sound cooler than I already am (lol!). I mean, new things, great and small, complex and simple are all part of my life experiences. The most important thing is, I am enjoying myself and I am having fun while I do them.

Rio Grande Rapids. Some people say falling in love can be dangerous. You give it all your best. You sacrifice. Then you finally achieved that one shot at happiness. One day something went wrong, and before you knew it, your heart is broken. The funny thing is that you knew right from the start all of that’s gonna happen. If you have felt this way before, that’s exactly the same thing Rio Grande Rapids taught me. I stood in line along with friends, despite being spent from getting on the soul-sucking rides the entire day. It was a long line just like the previous ones, but we made it and finally, we were on the rafts. Despite the warnings that we’ll get wet, I still got pissed when I got splashed with water, and it was no longer fun. Let me tell you, I perfectly knew what I was getting into. When the idea of getting on to this ride came, I already anticipated going home drenched from the waist down. Did it stop me from getting in there? No. Why? Because it was fun.

EKstreme Tower Ride. This heartbeat-stopping ride kicked the hell out of me the first time I got on it some years ago. I still remember how it felt to be slowly pulled to the top until every beautiful thing in the province of Laguna was within my sight. It was stunning. Then, without warning, without any given signal, it dropped me at full speed. Real-life experiences like this are heartbreaking, but unlike Rio Grande Rapids where I was ready to take the risk all over again, this was the one thing I didn’t dare try again.