You’ve come a long way, baby.

Mia’s sixth grade class had a field trip the the CLAS Ropes Course yesterday.

Now, if you know Mia, you know that she has had a whole lot of anxiety about field trips in the past and that she hates rides and heights. She was pretty worried about this activity…

When we got there, the owner sat all the kids down in the ampitheater to tell them about what they’d be doing and why. He said that you can really learn a lot about yourself from the way you react to the challenges on the ropes course.

Here’s what she learned.

First, the instructor asked the kids to get into groups of five, and as girls will do- the best friends all banded together in an inseparable group. Then the groups of five lined up one in front of the other and the lines from front to back became the activity groups for the day. Did that description make any sense at all? It’s enough to know that the best friends were separated and had to work with other kids they didn’t know quite as well. They were not impressed, but I thought it was brilliant.

Activity one- Shark Island.

A group of 12 kids is “stranded” on a boat that is sinking into shark infested waters. They have to figure out how to get a rope hanging far away using only what they have with them and then swing across to a safe platform before they’re eaten by sharks. They finally decide to hook their belts and shoes together and catch the rope that way.

The boy in the yellow shirt was so adorable. He took charge and made sure that all the girls got off the platform first. I thought that was totally charming.

There goes Mia, swinging to safety! When they got to the platform they had to figure out how to fit all 12 people on without “falling into the water”. Not as easy as it sounds.

Activity Two- Time for the HIGH Challenges!

Getting all harnessed up.

Remember how much Mia dislikes heights? Well, here’s what’s in store for her.

First up, the swing.

Here she is all helmeted up and waiting for her turn. How do you feel right now, Pretty Girl?

Oh come on, you’re going to love it! If you do it, you get a frozen yogurt after school!

(What? I’m not above bribery when it comes to getting kids to do what I want!)

Getting hooked in.

Hoisted up in the air… and………..

BOO-YAH! She did it!

And once she conquered the swing it was on to rock climbing…

(that’s her friend Sophie at the very top! She just zipped right up like a pro. It’s was so fun to watch.)

Mia didn’t make it to the top, but she did some lovely climbing all the same!

The last activity was the Electric Chair. I thought it looked like fun, but Mia wanted nothing to do with this one, other than pushing other people in it.

What I learned about Mia during the course of the 3 hours watching was that she may be scared, but she’s also very brave when she buckles down and goes forward. I was incredibly proud of my girl and so glad I went along.

When I wasn’t watching Mia display her feats of bravery, I wandered around the ropes course campus and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.

It was a really great way to spend a morning.