Hershey

so, when i was approximately 10 years old, my family went to hershey park as part of our vacation (remember, i'm from rhode island, so pa is actually the proper vacation distance from my hometown). at this point in my life, i'd never been on a roller coaster. so, with child-like innocence and enthusiasm, i blindly followed my dad into line for the comet. the ride begins with the, now all too familiar, ascent into the clouds ... the climb right before the rapid descent where you feel as though you've left your stomach back at the beginning of the ride. however, having never been on a roller coaster ... i didn't know what this meant. and as we're climbing, my dad and i are chatting ... he's eyeing me up, wondering how i'm going to fare ... and i'm blathering on like a fool about the lovely weather. i actually don't know what we were talking about, but i do know that the instant we began to "fall" ... i yelled at my dad "you said this was supposed to be fun!". and so began my fear of the roller coaster.

in my sophomore year of college, i went to kings dominion and conquered this fear ... but i'd never been back to hershey park, until this weekend. and i was going to ride the hell out of the comet. but i couldn't start with that particular coaster ... i had to ease myself into it. so, of course, i decided to begin the day with one of the more scarier coasters. i didn't know this, though, until i was actually on the ride. why do most roller coasters look all innocent from the ground? i know the screams should give it away ... but, honestly, i stand there, waiting in line, and think to myself, "this isn't going to be so bad". and when i get off ... my legs feel like jello. anyway, a few coasters (and jello legs) later ... i got in line for the comet. i wasn't as nervous as i thought i'd be, since this was the last ride of the day, and i'd already been on some freaky rides. but as we started that climb ... i gotta tell you, i got a sinking feeling in my stomach. didn't end up being so bad ... i screamed, as usual ... but, i'd do it again. just not soon.