If you have the chance to pick up a hammock, please go for it. I've had a few experiences with hammocks that have convinced me they are one of life's little miracles. I lived in Hawaii for a few years, and there were few things better than going out into my backyard just a few feet from the Pacific ocean and swinging in a hammock.
However, my first experience with hammocks was when I was 14, and I went on a school trip to Mexico. It was an eye-opener, and the spark of the apparently enormous keg of wanderlust contained in my being. Ever since then, I've been unable to stay in one place for very long, and if I must, I'm constantly looking for ways to get out and see new things. We were at Chichen Itza, and it was a boiling hot day. Except there was no water, so it was more like direct-radiation-from-the-sun-that-could-kill-you-in-ten-minutes kind of a hot day. However, I did not go all the way to Mexico to not climb that famous pyramid! Literally every other person on the trip hid in the shadows of some trees while I climbed every single step. It was hot, and I was sweating buckets, but it was totally worth it. That was one of the most memorable moments of my trip.
Another moment I wish I didn't remember, although it's probably not quite so dramatic as to warrant that introduction, is the day when we went to the mercado (Spanish for "market"), and all I bought was a ridiculous bucket hat that no one should ever wear. ever. But really, I saw this wonderful stand just full of hammocks, and there was a particular one, I believe it was rainbow colored, that stuck out to me. I went back and stared at it probably six times, and my innocent little 14-year old bartering skills got the price down to just five dollars! However, my innocent little 14-year-old money skills honestly thought that was too expensive, and I passed it up. Let alone being rude to the vendor, that was a foolish (non-)transaction. I kicked myself about that one for years.
I made up for it a few years ago, though. I went to Peru, and naturally, the first thing I did after the plane landed was go to the legendary Incan monument, Machu Picchu. Of course, I absolutely I had to climb it. It was an incredibly hard hike to the top, let alone the fact that it's almost 8,000 feet above sea level. Combine days of excitement before leaving, a red-eye flight and a few hours of straight-up hiking, and you get one really tired writer. But you know what made it all worth it? Besides the feeling of connection to the ancient Incas and the gorgeous view of miles of surrounding the mountain? After climbing back down, I took a flight into the jungle, and spent my first night in Peru sleeping in a hammock. It seemed to have some kind of magical healing properties- the soreness and fatigue of my muscles had disappeared by the time I woke up, and I had a perfectly restful, dreamless sleep. It was the best night's sleep I've ever had. I'm still considering replacing my bed at home with a hammock.
At this point, you might be remembering how painful it was the last time you tried to sit in a hammock, and it spun around and spit you out on the ground. But please, don't be afraid any longer! Today's hammocks are virtually spill-proof, what with all the new features of the stands and strands. And there are all sorts of options for styles. First we have the traditional rope hammock; again, don't worry- this is not the rope hammock of the past that dug into your skin like a line of termites. Newly engineered materials make this rope softer and sturdier, something akin to being enveloped by, well, a comfortable hammock. If you'd prefer to forgo rope altogether, fabric hammocks are just for you. From chairs to swings to camping hammocks, whatever fits your style and preferences, there is a hammock for you. And I dare you to sleep in one and not fall in love with it. It's impossible. Hammocks are the stuff dreams are made of.
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