So! As many of you have seen already today I did my first ever bungy jump! Let me tell you a little story about the time that I threw myself off a bridge.
As many of you know when I came to New Zealand I said that the only one thing I wouldn't do was a bungy. For a number of reasons I had some of which was I didn't want to be hung by my feet, and I didn't like the idea of being snapped back up once the bungy extended. I planned on, and still do, doing a skydive but was not entertaining the thought of a bungy jump. That all changed yesterday. Our bus driver Cameron is very much into adventure sports and is also training to become a skydive instructor so if you want information hes your guy! While we were driving to Wanaka he started talking about doing the bungy on the way to Queenstown. This is the place of the worlds first ever bungy jump and the bus stops there on the way. A few people had signed up already and Cam had a little talk with the bus while driving about the bungy. I will tell you, he is one damn good salesman because by the time he passed the clipboard around again he had me considering it. A few of the things he said that changed my mind were that it isn't a big snap back up it is actually a soft spring back up and not jolting at all. The other thing he talked about was that it is a true test of yourself. I guess I had not really looked at it from that angle before but it is true that it truly tests yourself to make yourself go against all that your instincts and thoughts tell you is wrong. Your brain is telling you no don't do this because of our natural instinct not to die. By forcing yourself to trust yourself and the people that rigged you up it can be a life changing moment. He also talked about the reel of emotions that you pass through on your way down, when the bungy catches you, and after you have done it. Like I said, after listening to him talk I was actually thinking about it, and then I thought, if you are considering it then you should do it. So the next time the clipboard came around I slapped my name down on it!
Last night we went out for a couple drinks and then I went back to the room to get some sleep. Well that is one thing that didn't happen last night was sleep. I slept for about 3 solid hours and then was awake off and on until it was time to get up. I had also gone to the supermarket the night before and bought a beer to chug right before I got down there to calm my nerves. I just kept thinking and trying to prepare myself for what was to come. I don't get rattled by much but the whole morning I felt like I was going to vomit because I was so nervous. I asked the driver to give me a 5 mins heads up for our ETA at the bridge and I would chug my beer and let it settle in so I would be loose by the time jumping came around. After chugging my beer we arrived and we had to watch a short video on the creators of bungy and even during the video I felt sick at the thought. After the video it was time to go and get weighed and sign your life away before heading up to the bridge.
Once I got up on the bridge there was a girl just about to jump off so I watched her and it was at that moment that the internal freak out commenced. I saw her do it and I thought to myself there is no way I can do this! Why did I agree to this, and I already paid my money! So then I decided that maybe it was a bad idea to watch the others so I stayed back and tried to amp myself up. My driver was most supportive and offered moral support while I was beginning to freak out. At one point I felt good about it and wanted to strap up just then, but of course I had to wait so then I lost that feeling in a hurry. I watched a few people go and they made it look so easy so I didn't know what to expect once I got on to the platform.
Then it was my turn he called me up and started to tie my ankles together. My anxiety level grew larger and larger and I really started to think I couldn't do it. The guy tying me up was great about it though and he tried to chit chat with me to keep my mind off of it until it was time to stand up. Then he told me to stand up and I couldn't! I was terrified and tears started to roll down my cheeks. I said repeatedly that no I couldn't do this, I wasn't going to do this. I didn't care that everyone was watching that was absolutely terrifying. He kept trying to get me to inch towards the end of the platform and I just wanted to run in the other direction. Then of course you are panicking so your breathing goes to shit and you start to feel a bit dizzy. I got out to the edge and he got me to slow my breathing down and keep my eyes on the bridge in the distance. At that very moment a sense of peace came over me and I knew that I would jump when he said bungy. It was a strange feeling but at that moment I knew I could do it! So he said, "1-2- and I jumped!"
I don't think I breathed once on the way down! My face was hurdling toward the river and all I could think was, "Oh god, oh god!" The free fall was the longest few seconds of my life! When the bungy caught me I took a big inhale in and it was then that I realized that I hadn't took a breath the whole time I was falling! Then I started to come back up and I saw the bungy and all that went through my mind was those horror stories of the bungy getting wrapped around your neck. Then in an instant I was headed back towards the river! It was amazing! I was a bit disoriented but grabbed the pole on the boat and they pulled me down into the boat.
It was probably the most scary thing I have ever forced myself to do, but I am soooo glad that I did it! I will never forget that.
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