Kawarau Bridge

in case you were wondering, that is what screaming your head off looks like

So nervous that this was the only smile I could muster 

a little perspective on why I was terrified

not just jumping but lunging

Bungy Jumping is the quintessential New Zealand adventure. Having been invented and popularized in this beautiful country it has become a must-do, especially in Queenstown. We had always planned to bungy even before we arrived. However, this does not mean that I had fully thought through leaping off of a plank into a gully. Immediately after purchasing our tickets my fear decided to finally present itself, resulting in tingling feet and sweaty palms every time I thought about it. We woke up early and headed straight to Kawarau Bridge, this is the birth place of Bungy where the actual first jump took place. Kyle hopped up on the bridge and did a graceful swan dive as he leapt off the plank. He made it look so easy, as did the many many people I watched do the same which included an ancient Chinese man! As I waited in line I could only be comforted by the fear of being shown up by my 60 year old father who had done the same jump, twice! For anyone wondering, they secure your feet with a terry cloth towel- my life was hanging by a freaking bath towel! I won’t go into the embarrassing details but I took the longest to jump, screamed the loudest, and had the largest bounce of anyone that day. When I resurfaced at the balcony I was met by many old onlookers who congratulated me, one even went so far as to call me his hero… guess I must have looked as petrified as I was. I think having my fingers pried off the worker, twice, might have been the giveaway.