There is about a 15-year gap between the only two times I have ever been to Y.S Falls and although I don’t have a vivid memory of 15 years ago I remembered enough to know the difference between the two trips were remarkably different. It got me thinking this week, what are the different factors that can make a trip to the very same place so different. Here are a few I came up with!
Mindset:
The last trip to Y.S was planned by my aunt and uncle and I tagged a few friends who were willing to go. I think all of us thought of it as a drive out and didn’t really go with the intention of swimming or exploring the falls. It was simply about spending time with friends and family. Last week when we went, there was an excitement about going to Y.S as I had seen so many stunning pictures recently that I wanted to experience for myself. We planned it carefully to try to go on a less busy day and you can best bet I had my trunks on before we left Kingston.
Circumstances:
It just so happened that my older trip there must have been right after some heavy rainfall as I recall the water being brown and murky. To be honest I don’t think I had given it much thought and just assumed the water was always brown. But it was the opposite this time as the waterfalls were pristine and aqua colored which equals inviting. Think of other factors that can just be the circumstance of different visits like large crowds, Water temperature, the perfect sunset, overcast and rainy etc.
Infrastructure:
As so much time had passed Y.S has seen some developments through the years. Notably, they have added pools and a zip line feature. The zip line was the real draw for me as Again I had seen videos of it and it appeared that you zip lined over the waterfalls!
Company:
Who you take or don’t take could completely make or break your trip. The company on the trip set the tone for the trip and the first time we were with my relatives and the trip was a drive out. Had it been a trip with just my friends I’m sure the tone would have been different. On my second trip to Y.S it was just two of us and we were pretty much open to doing the same things so we were attuned to each other. But it could have been a group of easy going people and turned out amazing or a group of persons who aren’t really interested in going at all and it ends up more stressful than not, trying to plan for each person’s needs.
Attitude:
This to me is arguably the biggest difference between the two trips. The first time I went to Y.S I definitely wasn’t as adventurous as I am now. Of course, it can be argued that mindset and attitude are one and the same but rather I think they go hand in hand or affect each other. I think of mindset as more short-term being that even though I’m more adventurous now there are still many times when I have a certain predisposition. I may just not be up for something based on my current mood or certain external factors. Of course, attitude affects mindset in that nowadays I would also generally be more open and adjustable while before I may not have been!
The common denominator between all the factors seems to be time. The difference in mindset, a difference in attitude, infrastructure etc all depended on a change of time.
And just imagine, if you yourself can have such different experiences as the very same person, it makes it crystal clear how two different people can go to the exact same place and have complete polarizing views.
OTHER:
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