60 Things in 60 Days: Day 22: Lions and Tigers and Snakes, Oh My!

I'm the polar opposite of the "outdoorsy type." This isn't necessarily something in which I take pride, but it's me.

I went camping a few years ago, and couldn't wait to get home. I nearly left before the sun began to set, but decided to rough it for a few more hours. The only thing I found enjoyable was making s'mores by the campfire. There were bugs, insects, and snakes all over the campsite. Ughhh. I don't like to admit this, but I can't be around those critters without screaming or causing a scene of some sort.

So, I decided to conquer my fear of snakes today... crazy, right? While doing some online shopping, I came across a PetSmart ad and accidentally clicked on it. I was then brought to the "Reptile" page, which included pictures of snakes. Snakes? 60 Things? This might work. I wasn't planning on going any time soon, but my girlfriend text me to see what my "new thing" was today. Denise suggested we do dinner, where I planned on drinking a beer as my "new thing." Then I told her my snake idea, and she loved it. So, I called PetSmart to see if they had snakes. They did! I told Denise to meet me at my place, so she could bear witness to my feat. Once we got to PetSmart, I suggested that I hold a turtle or bird instead... yes, I was chickening out. But, Denise wouldn't let me. She went to the front desk, and asked Adrian for help. He got the snake out of its' terrarium and tried handing it to me. Unfortunately, I ran away and started screaming in the middle of the store. True story. As I began to approach the snake again, I quickly turned away because I couldn't do it. That's when Denise yelled at me. Apparently, Adrian was growing impatient, and it was do or die. After a few deep breaths, I put out my hands, closed my eyes, and conquered my fear. When Adrian told me the snake didn't have a name, I made one suggestion: Ellaine.