^I don't think you're a know it all if that's what you're wondering.
Thank you for saying that.

Not sure if anyone remembers
this post, in which I discussed my experiences with rollercoasters, but it's in need of an update, because this past Friday (on the last day of my trip to Florida), I took the first big rollercoaster ride of my life on the Manta at Seaworld. The only other rollercoaster I'd ever been on, as I remember it, was very small, with only one slope to it that could even be called steep. This one, on the other hand, had the works: it was over half a mile long, went up to 140 feet above the ground, had loop-de-loops, vertical drops, twists, and low-level swoops, and it was a flying rollercoaster, with seats beneath the cars that lifted up so that you were suspended facing the ground during the ride. I was definitely a little concerned that I was biting off more than I could chew with this ride, :unsure: but I decided to follow the MythBusters' motto (“If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing”), and rode in the very front.

Surprisingly enough, I actually found the ride rather relaxing.

I made some “alarmed Curly”-esque sounds during the ride (“nyah-ah-ah-ah!” and “woo-woo-woo!”),

but truthfully I can't say I felt scared (Sometimes I worry that my capacity to feel emotion is deteriorating :blink:). I didn't feel sick at any point either (which had been a major concern of mine, as I had eaten a very large breakfast less than an hour earlier). In fact, I was rather disappointed at how quickly the ride ended, and would have gone on it again were it not for the line and the limited amount of time we had to spend at the park.
There were a number of factors that influenced me to ride the Manta. One was that I wanted to try out a real rollercoaster. Another was that it was free.

: Even more significant was the fact that the ride (and the design of its frontmost car) are based on a manta ray (I've had an obsession with rays lately

). Plus, one of the gift stores sold a lot of Manta-themed keychains that I liked, but it didn't feel right to buy them when I hadn't even been on the ride.

Afterwards I bought three of them, plus a Manta souvenir coin (The first day I was at SeaWorld, I also got a little plush manta ray with the Manta logo on its wing

). I never thought I'd enjoy a rollercoaster so much. :!