It is human character to enjoy what is comfortable, to not push limits and to resist change when it first arrives. We all have done it... as I have. On the younger side of my twenties, it is time to stop resisting the unknown and accept the changes in life. I left my home, family and friends to pursue a life-changing opportunity here at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania. Little did I know... that life changing capabilities lie in more than just starting a new career.
Nemacolin offers so many opportunities to cross off my ever-growing personal "bucket list." In order to gain a better understanding of just a small portion of what a guest experiences at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, I jumped at the opportunity to experience some of the Resort's amenities. In just two days, I traded my own vehicle for an Off-Road Jeep Rubicon tour through the rugged back-country of the Laurel Highlands. The next day, my other ride had four legs, as I took a trip around the surrounding woodlands on horseback.
One Tuesday in June, the Adventure Center set me up with an opportunity to complete the Canopy Tour which combined the 40' Ropes Course and the Fatbird Flyer Zip Line. Never participating in anything like this before, the adrenaline rush had me scurrying up the first set of pegs on a telephone pole sized vertical log. I climbed without hesitation until I found myself frozen on the ladder leading to the first obstacle. I was scared. Looking down, I wavered, “I think I’m going to have to climb back down, I can’t do this.” I stood in position, mentally and physically stuck, as the guide perched above on his stand, forty feet in the air answered back, “Yes, you can.” He howled from the post, “just keep going.” The simple words of encouragement made me gulp. This guy lived up there for hours out of the day, happily offering reassurance and directing guests, and I’m the one who is afraid. I pushed forward, mind completely blank and heart beating out of my chest, but I made it to the first obstacle. Swings – people had to walk across these? Indeed, they did. As the Guide sensed my concern, he told me what to do next, and continued to do so at every point I reached. With each obstacle, I begged myself not to quit, and as soon as I crossed each one, a sense of relief and pride waved over me for a few moments before the determination to finish the next challenge flooded my mind again. The only way down was to complete the course, and I was making it across the jungle of wooden planks, ropes and tires. Before I knew it I was floating down on a Zip Line to the finish. I took deep, full breaths of the clean Pennsylvania mountain air and as soon as I touched the ground, I was unable to wipe the smile off my face. The Fatbird Flyer only enhanced my delight as I flew through the trees in a grand finale.
Pushing through something that I’ve never done before gave me a renewed sense of self. I am a better individual than I was before, and it wasn’t because I lost “those last five pounds” or bought new shoes; it was because I truly became a stronger person for pushing myself to do something that I thought I couldn’t do. Unusual challenges serve as a reminder of what the mind and body are capable of, and anyone can experience that here. I wouldn’t give that feeling up, and I can’t wait to do it again – maybe a little bit faster next time.
Christina Petrilli
Assistant Marketing Manager
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
