Waking up from my sleep feeling much better than I did at 7:30 when Trevor left, I showered, made some breakfast, and headed over to AJ Hacket Bungy headquarters to once again sign my name a twelve times next to lines saying something about death/serious injury. Waiting for the bus to arrive for my bungy was nerve racking, however they did offer free internet which was a pleasant distraction from the knot my stomach was twisting and turning its way into. The bus showed up on time, I found a seat, put in my ipod (thanks again Jenn), and contemplated life for the 45 minute drive to the jump site. Arriving there did not untie the knot in my stomach by any means. I was weighed again, harnessed up, and put in a cable car to take me to gondola, swaying in the wind, some 500 feet over a very beautiful little river.
Once in the gondola I was fitted into my bungy gear, put into a chair much like a dentist chair, strapped in, and told to walk to the ledge.
With my legs bound together I baby-stepped my way to the edge, and the count down began. Thank you Scarlett for the great advice to think off as I was about to jump. So it was 3-2-1, I left all the emotional baggage I have been carrying around on the ledge and took the biggest dive of my life.
Such a feeling once you clear the platform. It’s like your brain can’t make sense of what you are doing. As I was falling I remember my brain saying to me your diving into this water and going to die right now. The feeling of falling, weightlessly for 9 seconds, head-first towards the ground below is one that cannot be described.
Then the pull of the cord quickly changing from slack to taut as you reach the apex of your fall, the bounce back up, fall back down, and then pulling the release cord to sit you right side up for the ride back to the Gondola. Sitting there, being pulled back to the platform, taking in the scenery, and reflecting on what I just did was an experience I will remember forever. It was also a big step forward for me as it was my first day on my own. My journey by myself truly began as I took that leap.
Back to the hostel to relax a little and see what the crew was up to for that night. Made some ramen and shared a bottle of wine with a group of American girls I had met from Virginia and then headed up to Geoff’s room to play some cards and talk for hours. Headed out for one drink on the town, and then for another much anticipated Ferburger. It’s amazing that I was just as excited to this, my fourth Ferg as I was for the first one. Enjoying every bite as I took down the last Fergburger of my trip and then into bed for a short sleep before having to wake at 7:30 to get to the airport to head to Auckland, on the North Island.
Once in Auckland, I walked around the town to try and clear my head a little and see if I could get the nervousness and loneliness out of my system. Feeling a little better I sat down to read and write a bit. Met some people over dinner in the common area, and sat and talked for an hour so there before heading back to my room to play a fun game of international kings.
I have to say it is pretty interesting playing a drinking game with people from six different countries, but amazing fun as well. After our game, my bunk mate Chris and I headed out to see what the town had to offer, the result, not much. After walking in to and immediately out of four or five bars, without even ordering a drink, we headed back to the room around 3 and slept right through my alarm for my bus to the Bay of Islands. I quickly booked a later bus and crawled back into bed. Sleeping for a few more hours I woke to realize that someone had taken my camera. Bummer. This is the reason for the lack of pictures in my last few postings. I did, however, buy a new camera and am now sitting on my bus to the Bay of islands and the Northern most point of New Zealand. Can’t wait!
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