More things I can't do in Costa Rica:
Zipline canopy tour in Monteverde (limit 275 lbs)
Horseback riding from Monteverde to Volcano Arenal (limit 200 lbs)
What a bummer.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
Living while fat
So I'm planning this trip to Costa Rica, looking at possible activities I can do when I'm there, and I come upon parasailing. Now I've never given parasailing a second thought, but the moment I click on this webpage and see the pictures of people soaring above the beach, I know it is something I really really want to do. Even better, the parasailing company's website says something about 'all shapes and sizes' of people being able to participate in parasailing. Heck yes, I'm psyched! That is, until I read their FAQ a little closer and see that, to them, 'all sizes' means up to 250 pounds.
I know, I'm larger than most and I should be used to being excluded or not considered by now, but it felt like such a dirty trick for them to proclaim how accessible parasailing is when they really only mean it's accessible to non-fat people. It's as if they're saying. "not only can you not participate, we're going to pretend folks your size don't even exist."
That rejection of my very existence really pushed my buttons. In fact, if I hadn't booked my plane ticket already I probably would have decided to skip Costa Rica altogether. That's how much I hate being ignored and marginalized. But that's a whole lot of power to hand over to some employee of a Costa Rican parasailing company. Sure, fat travel has always been a challenge and I will probably encounter numerous occasions where I don't exactly fit and feel awkward and slightly uncomfortable, but that's no reason to not go.
Contestants on The Biggest Loser are always going on and on about how they have 'gotten their life back' by losing weight, and I kind of get what they mean. Spending your life safely on your sofa can be a really compelling idea when the alternative means always being uncomfortable or unsure, encountering messages at every turn that your body is wrong or invalid, or worse, dealing with outright discrimination and vitriol because of your size. So yeah, one way to deal with that is to hide in your house and wait for the day that your body looks like everyone else's. Or you could just choose to live now.
Luckily I've never been very good at waiting.
I know, I'm larger than most and I should be used to being excluded or not considered by now, but it felt like such a dirty trick for them to proclaim how accessible parasailing is when they really only mean it's accessible to non-fat people. It's as if they're saying. "not only can you not participate, we're going to pretend folks your size don't even exist."
That rejection of my very existence really pushed my buttons. In fact, if I hadn't booked my plane ticket already I probably would have decided to skip Costa Rica altogether. That's how much I hate being ignored and marginalized. But that's a whole lot of power to hand over to some employee of a Costa Rican parasailing company. Sure, fat travel has always been a challenge and I will probably encounter numerous occasions where I don't exactly fit and feel awkward and slightly uncomfortable, but that's no reason to not go.
Contestants on The Biggest Loser are always going on and on about how they have 'gotten their life back' by losing weight, and I kind of get what they mean. Spending your life safely on your sofa can be a really compelling idea when the alternative means always being uncomfortable or unsure, encountering messages at every turn that your body is wrong or invalid, or worse, dealing with outright discrimination and vitriol because of your size. So yeah, one way to deal with that is to hide in your house and wait for the day that your body looks like everyone else's. Or you could just choose to live now.
Luckily I've never been very good at waiting.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Costa Rica!
So yes, the secret is out, this summer I am going to Costa Rica!! Dad and I had been talking about doing a Spanish immersion program in Mexico but he wasn't ready to go this summer so I started thinking about going on my own. With all of the Spanish-speaking countries to choose from, Costa Rica was the one that really jumped out at me. So my initial plan was to do Spanish immersion there, but now I think I might skip the Spanish immersion and just go have a lovely vacation.
One of the great things about CR is that a lot of backpackers, surfers and students come through there, so there are hostels in every major city or region. Hostels are nice and cheap, but I also like them because, as a single traveler, it's nice to have other folks around to talk to or share experiences with. One of my goals on this trip is going to be getting to know some new folks, being more open to new experiences, and just cutting lose and having fun without worrying too much about the plan or itinerary. I can't wait!
One of the great things about CR is that a lot of backpackers, surfers and students come through there, so there are hostels in every major city or region. Hostels are nice and cheap, but I also like them because, as a single traveler, it's nice to have other folks around to talk to or share experiences with. One of my goals on this trip is going to be getting to know some new folks, being more open to new experiences, and just cutting lose and having fun without worrying too much about the plan or itinerary. I can't wait!
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