That Time I Conquered My Fear of Heights

On Wednesday I mentioned how we had taken a nice Tuesday evening walk around Hitchcock Nature Center (HNC). It was also notable for the fact that I climbed to the top of the observation tower they have there. This is significant for me because I have a fear of heights that seems to have gotten worse as I've gotten older. When we took our family vacation in April we went to the Mountain Tower in Hot Springs, AR, and when I stepped out onto the uppermost observation deck, a lot of my fear of heights seemed to just disappear. So, when we took our little walk last Tuesday, I climbed to the top of the observation tower there for the first time in the decade I've been going to HNC.

The usual route we take to HNC has been closed due to some serious road construction, so we had to take an alternate route to get there. We got stopped by a train going by, but we didn't mind. We were relaxed and unhurried. This made for a pretty shot with the grain bins and the train nestled against the backdrop of the Iowa Mountains (my name for the Loess Hills).

The first thing we did (we didn't go down into the woods because the mosquitoes would've eaten us alive) was walk the boardwalk trail. We saw some wild hops!

A pretty view across a few layers of the Iowa Mountains from the Boardwalk Trail.

Here's my first shot from atop the Observation Tower. It was my husband, Nature Girl, and I, as The Teen was working, but I sent him a photo of me up here and he said, "Mom! You did it!" It was a pretty big moment for me. While it might not seem like a big deal for many people, keep in mind that I had never climbed this in a decade because I was too scared. My husband and NG were shocked to see me arrive up top to meet them.

Another lovely view from the top. My favorite trail at HNC is just to the right, along the ridge: Fox Ridge Run.

A view from the left side of the tower. If you look dead center of the photo, you can just see the two tallest towers in the Omaha skyline.

Well folks, it's Friday. I have a four-day weekend coming up in celebration of NG's birthday. I'll be back tomorrow with an Ipsy post! Until then, have a great day.

-H.A.

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