My favorite part, which was by no coincidence the easiest, was swinging forward for the first time. The rest, however, proved difficult: I couldn’t get my knees to hook over the bar. I swung back and forth rather pathetically for a couple of seconds before I was told to go for the big swing and flip. This I managed, and I unexpectedly enjoyed letting go and falling freely into the safety net.

My second and third turns were better, but nothing close to perfection. Anthony reassured me that with a couple more tries, I would have been able to pull it off. The most important thing, he said, is that the activity created a lasting memory. Sure enough, by the end of the day I knew that I’d always remember every detail of this amazing opportunity and talented staff.

This summer, a second I Fly Trapeze School was installed at Long Beach. The host of many birthday parties and Girl and Boy Scout troops, I Fly runs from April through October with an average class costing about $60. They hope to have trapeze open year-round within the next year. For more information, visit their website at iflytrapeze.com.