My Weekend

This weekend Justin and I did something we had been looking forward to all summer: went to a waterpark.  I won’t disclose which one because I don’t want to give away my location to strangers but it had all the essentials: half pipes, slides, a wave pool and a lazy river. I was comfortable enough in my new swimsuit not to be self-conscious or compare myself to anyone else. The lines were relatively short, the weather wasn’t baking hot but it was hot enough that water felt welcome albeit a little chilly. 

My favorite ride was probably the first ride we went on, a half pipe that I went down backwards feeling that swoop in my stomach that I’d pay money for (oh wait, I did). I love feeling like I’m falling backwards then being caught and propped up again. It’s always a gamble because sometimes I feel nauseous. This didn’t happen at all Saturday. God is good. My second favorite ride was the one where you race on mats. I liked this ride cuz it felt like I was riding a flying carpet but Justin instantly went down his slide whereas I had trouble getting my mat to move. When I arrived at the bottom, Justin was standing, waiting for me, wondering what took me so long. 

Justin and I  splurged for a little tent with two lounge chairs and a table. I would say this was definitely a good idea. It was a great place to rest between rides and hydrate. We also reapplied sunscreen (we were very careful not to get sunburned or dehydrated). We lay on the lounge chairs, in the shade except for our feet. We watched people go by, little children so excited. I guess I should mention the incident that happened in the lazy river.

In the lazy river, you have to ride in an inner tube. I had trouble launching myself into one. I am ashamed to say it was probably because of my weight. It’s hard to heft 200 pounds up and into an inner tube. I used to be small and slim and it was very easy to have command of my body. Now, not so much. So I kicked off from the bottom of the pool but I overshot it and flipped the  tube and my body over backwards. The back of my head hit something (the floor of the pool? The stairs? The side of the pool?) and for a few seconds I was dazed,, lying facedown in the water as Justin struggled to make his way toward me. No one else, included the lifeguard, noticed. My lungs seized and I lifted my head out of the water gasping desperately for breath. I swallowed a lot of water and later that night I had a mother of all headaches but  other than that I was okay. Nothing could ruin that day for me. Justin and I did three rotations in the lazy river then padded off to our personal tent to relax a little more.