We’re almost as adorable as the children we managed to adopt!
When I grew up in small town New Zealand, I had a trampoline in my back yard. Some of my best memories were on that trampoline–I’d lie there with a book; I’d jump with a hose pointed to the trampoline; I’d bring all my friends there for picnics; and most importantly, I’d jump.
About twenty minutes away from Westminster in Eldersberg is the Stratosphere Trampolining Park, one of those places that basically has a field of trampolines all attached to each other. My RA staff went there on an outing last week. I was worried that it was going to be kind of lame and that I’d grown too old to have fun on a trampoline.
I also somehow forgot the last time I was on a trampoline. I didn’t remember until we got there and I nervously walked up–I had taken trampolining classes alongside my diving classes when I was about eleven. I had been attempting a double somersault when one of my classmates made me laugh about something. Forgetting to flip in time, I landed awkwardly on my neck and had to be rushed to the emergency room. I was millimeters away from breaking my neck and suffering a permanent injury. As is, I missed the rest of my trampolining classes as two months later we moved to the US.
A photo of what the field of trampolines looked like from Stratosphere’s website.
Because of this, I was a bit more hesitant than I might otherwise have been. There was one area that was for practicing flips that had big cushions of air, so one could get a good bouncing start on the little runway, gain momentum, and try a flip into a really safe area. I did a few somersaults there, but that was as far as I was going to push myself acrobatically.
We had a lot of fun playing dodgeball and especially playing tag. Since it was technically against the rules, we had to find creative ways to bounce across the mats without looking as though we were running. My RA staff is full of super competitive people–I myself am a seriously sore loser–so it was hilarious to be a part of and to observe. They’ve become like a family to me and I’m so grateful for every chance I get to spend more time with them!
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