I feel like this title explains it all. I don’t know when my phobia began, but I remember crying as I climbed up a zip line pole in sixth grade at a school function. I also cried five years later at a swim team team building trip to a ropes course. I don’t know why my inclination when I am up high is to cry, but for some reason it is all I can do. I know in the very back of my mind that nothing could happen to me, but for some reason it is buried far far away in those moments. This is something that I can laugh about though, so I thought it would give a brief overview of the most ridiculous times I have cried due to this fear.
First off, any rollercoaster ever. Not only do I hate heights, but also the dropping feeling in your stomach, which really is a big part of the enjoyment for most people. Expect to see me having a minor panic attack as soon as I am strapped into the rollercoaster. It doesn’t matter how tame the ride is, chances are I’m prepared for the worst.
Next, it seems like I cry every time I travel somewhere cool that involves heights. This list includes the Great Wall of China, the Shanghai Pearl TV Tower, a mountain cable car in Chengdu, the Grand Canyon, and the list goes on. The Grand Canyon is an especially ridiculous story. We had planned to take a very easy hiking trail half a mile down the rim. When we got there it was a bit windy and the trail was a bit slippery due to the dirt and the incline. I was absolutely certain that with one wrong step, I would not only fall, but then slide down the path and off the edge of the cliff. There is no way that this could have happened, but it was enough to drive my group crazy and to bring me to tears.
While this fear is something I’ve tried very hard to accomplish, it just doesn’t seem like it is going to happen at this point. I think the best thing I can do is keep a considerable distance from heights if I am able, and just try my hardest not to overreact if I have to. We’ll see how that goes though.
