Grown ups, grow up, grown up! Growing... growing... gone!!!

When did we grow up?

Its a strange concept really, the day I no longer felt like a child anymore... hmmm... sometimes I don't think that day ever really came!
I mean we all have these tendencies, I could honestly imagine myself still being able to lie on the floor in a fit of tears and blind rage when I've been denied my candy bar- again!

Or when someone doesn't listen to you and you feel that hysteria welling up in your throat, and the room becomes a little too small for the both of you and all you can imagine satisfying you is grabbing that ruler and whacking them over the head with it!
OK that's a little extreme... I never did that - I promise!

But seriously, there is a definite transition, when all of a sudden you know better than to do that!
I felt it the other day, well it wasn't about doing something as ridiculous as making a public spectacle of myself... It was more about fear. I remember when I was younger, nothing seemed to be to daunting! I was game for everything! Climbing to the highest branches I could find, jumping off of rocks into the dark sea weeded sea, ramping over things with my roller blades or my bicycle... I wasn't scared of anything, I never thought of the danger or consequence of my actions. Fear just didn't seem to be an option.

For the first time in a long time, I got that little twinge of fear! Like something could actually seriously go wrong here! Something out of my control you know.

It started off at the beginning of last week, when I started my training to become an adventure guide for the summer.
We trekked up to the cable car road with our 4X4, bike racks and helmets in tow! And set off on the first of many trials to come!
Assembling ourselves we started off in single file ( me being the only girl of course!) It was a beautiful day: sunny, warm, windless - a Cape Town classic!
Rounding the bend we came to our first downhill leg of the trip, no sweat I thought, 'I know how to ride a bike!'

Well that's were I was horrible mistaken! Because just as we set off... that little nagging thing called fear kicked in, and I realized I'd gotten in a little too deep for my liking!
The trail was so steep, my bike had zero shock absorption, and the seat I was perched precariously on may as well have been made from solid rock!

Not a great first impression to come flailing wildly down the hill past all the boys like a deranged octopus on heat! Only to come to a stop by crashing into a hump an near up ending myself over the steering wheel straight into a giant mud pit! Class - is all I'm saying!

Next up was my sand boarding initiation in Atlantis. So naturally all the boys have, snow boarded, skate boarded, surfed- you know, done some form of something that affiliated them with our newly appropriated toy - the sand board, which later I discovered was actually a snow board: clips boots and all, that had been rescued and recycled form Tiffendale! Further adding to their advantage!

Anyway, as baptisms of fire go, this definately topped the list... Our guide marched us up to the 2nd highest dune in Atlantis and quite literally pushed us over the edge.... "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Splat!!!
Class!

You're body does everything it shouldn't do and it does it quite naturally, this being because instinctively you'll lean back to slow yourself down, but this will only send your board rocketing up in front of you, landing you on your already bicycle broken buttocks!!!
So effectively, already terrified at the sheer height of the slope you're attempting to casually slalom down, you now have every natural instinct in you're body actively working against you!

Now had I been 6years old again last week, non of this would have been a problem!
My agile little mind and body would have effortlessly, and without so much as a second thought conquered all of these outrageous quests I have signed myself up for.

The good news is, I have successfully managed to stand and turn on one entire run down the 2nd highest dune in Atlantis ( sorry I had to say it again people! it just sounds better!).
And I can now officially call myself a pseudo-ish mountain jockey! Class!

Princess Mia:
"When I grow up... I want to be a an adventure guide mummy! And I want to be better at it than all of the boys!"

Mummy:
"Anything else dear?"

Princess Mia:
"Yes, I want a pink my little pony for my birthday!" ;)