What I learned from the Hike from HELL

So I am BACK from paradise.....even though I may have been dragged back kicking and screaming.......

My best friend and I decided we needed a break and booked a fantastic girl's trip/ birthday trip for her to Belize. We could have the opportunity to experience life in the rainforest and even squeeze in a few island days! The first 3 days of our trip were adventurous and we made a point to hike, zip line, and explore as much of the rainforest we could. Now, my best friend Carissa loves hiking. I am not a die hard fan, but I do it, 1. because it was technically her birthday trip. 2. I wanted to see the beautiful forest and the waterfalls. and 3. I didn't want her to complain about me being lazy. (love you biff!) Now I have hiked several times in the past but let me tell you I was in no way, shape, or form prepared for the trek that was ANTELOPE HILL.

I should have known from the very beginning what we were in for when the resort had a guest sign out book so they could track whether or not the guests actually returned after the hike.(Ummmm makes you wonder how many times that has happened) I assumed it would take a while longer than the 4 hour estimate the resort guides gave us. But they were sweet and packed us fruit and muffins so we had goodies along the way.

Here is me about 10 minutes into the hike,

blissfully unaware of the horrors that lay ahead.

The easy part of the hike only lasted about 30 minutes IF THAT. But I was determined to not complain (much) and push myself to make it to the top. You see, for years I avoided outdoor activities because I felt like I couldn't make it. I said I hated sweating but what I really meant was that I hated looking like I was about to keel over and die in front of people. I said I didn't like running or jogging outdoors but in reality I didn't like the feeling of my almost 250 lbs pounding on my knees. Now that I have started this journey on a healthier lifestyle I make it a point to try push myself to do things I wouldn't have dared to try a year ago. But so far it had only meant spending that extra 30 minutes at the gym and making myself get up and go the park even when I'd rather sleep that extra hour. So making it to the top wasn't just about a birthday hike or a damn waterfall. It was about proving to myself I could accomplish something so significant.

So after about 30 minutes into the hike the steps get steeper and steeper and I can feel my body screaming. Even though theres a decent fresh breeze blowing through the trees, we are both drenched in sweat and breathing heavy. Fast forward another 20 minutes and we realize the steps disappear altogether! Luckily the trail had ropes placed throughout these harder parts and we used the rocks to climb up and over to the higher levels. Pretty soon the harder parts became a constant but luckily we started to hear the water and that gave us a tiny ray of hope.

Here we are as we got closer to the waterfall.

This isn't the cool part though.

We hiked what felt like hours more, laughing at the craziness of the damn idea. I kept thinking I should be sitting in a hammock somewhere drunk off of my ass, but instead I had this inner push to get my ass to the top of this waterfall. Damn self growth, I tell ya.

Anyway, we climb and climb and we FINALLY make it to the top. And we could not believe how amazingly beautiful the views and the waterfalls were. We climbed down into this swimming hole and spent about an hour just relaxing and appreciating what we had accomplished. The swimming hole even had little fish who liked the eat the dead skin off of our feet. It was an unsettling feeling at first but it was cool to experience.

Here I am having a mini photo sesh

After spending enough time there to wonder when it would get dark we decided to head back down. I felt like every muscle was pissed at me and letting me know just how sucky I was every bump down the trail. The trip down went much faster than the trip up (big surprise) and I almost kissed the damn ground when we made it to the bottom.

When we made it back to the resort they were so surprised on how quickly we made the hike and that we didn't give up. I guess these gringas really have some serious cojones lol!

But seriously, after feeling like I was going to die several times and making it I almost couldn't control the amount of pride I had in myself. Someone who could barely climb more than 2 flights of stairs without being winded a year ago climbed a HUGE waterfall and didn't die!

I was sore as hell the next day but nothing could kill my happiness. I had accomplished something I never would have thought I could have. I learned that I needed to stop putting limits on what I believed I could accomplish. And I also learned I didn't hate being outdoors. I mean, I won't live in the mountains or anything but y'know. It's nice I guess.

And if you're wondering, I did end up making it to my place in a hammock.