My husband and I were fortunate to travel to Honolulu, Hawaii, in February 2020 for our twentieth wedding anniversary. We did so many things that I will write about all we did another time and how we squeezed so much in a 10-day trip!
Today, I’m remembering a specific moment, a particular day. We had been going nonstop. We were trying to get as much sightseeing as possible in because we didn’t know when we would be back again. Our wanderlust is extensive, and our list of places we desire to go is long!
We went to the Kualoa Ranch in the Kualoa Valley, where many films and TV shows, such as Jurassic Park, King Kong, Hawaii Five-0, etc., were filmed. The valley offers many activities, such as ATV rentals, horseback riding, and ziplining. On this day, we were scheduled to do ziplining!
It was our very first time. At forty, I decided I couldn’t wait to live life anymore. I was going to try everything. No matter what. Even my husband, afraid of heights, decided to try, and I was so proud of him!
When we arrived, we were weighed—at this time, I weighed a significant amount more than I do now—fitted with gear and helmets and given our instructions. Then, we rode out to the first site. They discussed movie trivia, and it was fascinating and fun!
We climbed our first tower for our first run. It wasn’t bad; it was only about 100 feet long and about a hundred feet above the ground. Simple. But the more we did, the more my lungs started to burn. It had been winter back home, and I hadn’t acclimated to the humidity that well for exercise with my asthma.
Soon, I was at the back of the pack and out of breath. I had not brought an inhaler along, either. I didn’t think I would need it.
I paused several times to catch my breath between the runs but breathed heavily. Boy, was I out of shape! I realized my time being sick with Lyme’s and Fibromyalgia had taken its toll on my physicality.
We did a few shorter runs before tackling the tallest one, which involved climbing the tower. By the time I reached the top, I saw stars but didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to scare my husband.
I hung back, letting everyone else go first, giving myself time to collect. Little did I know, I had Dysautonomia on top of EDS, Fibromyalgia, and Asthma at play!
We then flew hundreds of feet like we were flying, suspended two hundred feet above the ground. It was exhilarating, to say the least.
My favorite part was the suspended bridges. Not only were they fun, but they were also beautiful, scenic areas to walk through. Plus, they gave my lungs a break from climbing up to the towers!
After we finished, I was extremely crabby. Those in the chronic illness community would call it “paingry.” Not only did I have pain everywhere, from muscles I’m not used to exercising, but I was also very exhausted because of the lack of oxygen. My husband and I fought. It wasn’t pretty. It was a low moment for a great day.
Soon after, he realized that I had overspent my energy, or “spoons,” as we call it, and we talked it out on the way back to our hotel. We were scheduled to go and climb Diamond Head the next day, and I realized there was NO WAY I would be doing that based on how I already felt today after ziplining. As much as I REALLY wanted to see Diamond Head up close and say, “I did that!” It wasn’t going to happen. I already knew I would be exhausted tomorrow because of today and needed to rest.
There are times when it is okay to miss out. I’m learning that my body is more important than going to social functions or doing the next great activity if that is best for me. My body will thank me, and I am much happier to be around!
The next day, my husband went to Diamond Head with my two brothers-in-law, with whom we had traveled to Hawaii, and had “guy time.”
I enjoyed my time back at the hotel by myself. I slept in, used the pool, and did some shopping. It was great!
Maybe when I return to Hawaii again, I will climb Diamond Head next time. I am in much better shape now, and I’ll bring my inhaler next time!
