What Was I Doing?
I went rafting once in my teens near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I remember thinking I was going to fall out and spending most of my time holding on to the rope. I don’t love adrenaline or even the feeling you get when you ride a roller coaster. Yet here I was in a truck traveling down the roughest road I’d ever seen to the water’s edge in Costa Rica. What had I gotten myself into?
Not wanting to hold my family back and not seeing any way out of something I had committed to, I decided to just bite my tongue and persevere. I could live through this, it just wouldn’t be fun. Why was I paying hundreds of dollars to torture myself? Oh yeah, my family.
At the water’s edge it was beautiful, but I was distracted by my nerves. The guides gave us safety instructions about how to anchor ourselves in the boat, how to paddle, follow instructions, what to do in an emergency, and how to help someone back in the raft. The whole time they were talking I was thinking – Crap! Almost my whole family is in this raft. This might not just be scary, this could be dangerous!
I trusted Amazing Vacations Costa Rica. I knew their guides were the best in the country. I knew they would take care of me. I trusted them. I wouldn’t want any one else to have my life in their hands. My mother worries were just in high gear. I’m overreacting. I had to repeat this bit of information multiple times to myself in order to stay calm.
To say the least, I was nervous.
My family however had no worries. They were laughing and joking and very, very excited. As we got on the river and started paddling and practicing what we just learned I was psyching myself up just to endure. Our first rapid came, and instead of being nervous, I was concentrating on doing what they told me, doing my job, and not being the weak link in the raft. My paddle was a tool, I had a job to do, and I didn’t even think about letting go to grab the rope. Did our raft even have a rope? I don’t know. I felt secure in the boat and found that I enjoyed it and was happy to see my family so happy.
I got caught up in seeing Incredible waterfalls and gorgeous jungle scenery that greet you at almost every turn. Our guides were incredible and funny too. They showed off doing tricks and tossing their paddles. They did things that gave us confidence in their skills. They played and joked and made me forget what I was supposed to worry about. We went backwards, we got soaked by a waterfall, we jumped off rocks and let the current take us down the river. We had a blast. My daughter grabbed a stick that was floating in the river and made my husband think it was a snake – and then she almost fell out of the raft laughing.
During the down times, other guides on the river with their own groups would come over to say hi to our guides. I saw their love and respect for our guys and that was impressive.
I asked a million questions. Our guides told me how they can’t learn the river – they have to learn to read the water. Since it rains so much in Costa Rica the water levels in the river are constantly changing. That makes a rock to avoid one day, a rapid the next. So if they learn how to read the water, they can safely navigate the changes from day to day. He talked about how on his Honeymoon, at a new river in California, he was asked to guide the group down because the owner knew he had this skill and that Costa Rican guides are respected in many areas.
However, something was still preventing me from letting go and enjoying the experience. I had read the river descriptions in my itinerary. I knew the names and levels of the rapids. After every rapid my son would ask, “What level was that?” and we’d get a reply “That was a Class II” and I would think, man o man! I have to go through something double that? I knew our trip had a Class IV rapid. I might not make it. I spent my time on the river in fear of some unknown “big” ahead.
In the end I realized – all the rapids felt the same. I asked my new best friends the guides about it and they explained that Class III and IV are just more technical – so they are noticed by the guide, but weren’t by us. I was once again grateful to be in the raft with the best guides in the country.
So – this post is for you, you nervous paddler who has committed against their better judgment to take yourself and those you love down the river. This post is what I wish someone had told me: Follow your guide and do your job. Then enjoy the experience. They will all feel about the same and when you are done, you will feel alive and strong having conquered something you feared.
The next time I go I will not be considered a nervous paddler. I’ll be more in the confident excited camp, and yes, there will be a next time. I feel like I would have missed out on a big portion of Costa Rica if I hadn’t had this experience and I’m grateful I did it with people who helped me feel involved and confident.
Have a river activity on your trip? Check out some helpful things to know
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