#30 Bungy Jump Macau Tower--ACHIEVED

I know this blog is supposed to be about my journey of crossing items off my life list, but since I haven't gotten around to planning out how I'm going to financially support my journey, I thought it would be a good idea to show some of the previous items that I've accomplished from my list, so far.

#30 Bungy Jump Macau Tower


Bungy jumping. I'm sure it's on the list of a lot of people. It actually lands on my list twice. #2 on my list is bungy jump off the Auckland Bridge in New Zealand. For someone who is terrified of heights, I sure have a lot of heights-related items on my list. I've never really realized that I was afraid of heights because I'm a total adrenaline junkie. I love roller coasters, the higher and faster, the better. My fear of heights wasn't realized until I went wall climbing with my friends. It was at that moment, stuck at the top of the wall and not wanting to let go, that I realized I wasn't comfortable with heights.

I knew at the beginning of 2009 that I wanted to do something major for my birthday. I had been thinking about taking a trip out of the country and hinted my parents that I wanted to do some traveling for my 25th birthday. Eventually, my dad got the hint, and along with my two cousins who kept pushing him to pay for my trip to China, he happily agreed. It wasn't until we purchased our tickets that I realized that it was actually going to happen. It became official and I knew I had to prepare myself. This was no easy feat. After all, the bungy platform of the Macau Tower is the world's highest and has been recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. Talk about "go big or go home".

I don't exactly know how I found the guts to actually do this, but believe me when I tell you, this was the most exhilarating moment of my life. I'm not going to lie, I was completely and utterly terrified once I was getting strapped in. There were so many emotions going through me and the only way I could control them was by breathing deeply and telling myself of how proud I would be after accomplishing such a task.



So there I was, standing on the edge of the world's highest bungy platform. With nothing but cables and cords wrapped around me. Just the thought of that moment makes me shiver to this day. The bungy staff tells me to look forward and after the countdown, to just lean forward and let my body fall. Easier said than done. They count "five, four, three, two, one"... I hesitate. Cursing my brains out. I couldn't do it. I was taken over by fear. I yell, "No, wait, wait. I'm not ready!" Then one of the workers whispers in my ear, "You can do this. You'll be proud of yourself, I promise. Just breathe and lean forward." And that's when I began to focus. This was something I needed to do. Something I wanted to accomplish. So they begin the countdown again, "five, four, three, two, one". I leaned forward and just let gravity take me.



It's difficult to explain how it felt, but let me tell you, there's no other feeling like it. It's about just letting go and being able to feel something completely different. It's weird looking back at it. At how terrified I was prior to the jump but afterwards, I felt a sense of accomplishment. There is a sense of empowerment that you feel once you've actually done it. It's such a quick change. From feeling a sense of fear to feeling a sense of empowerment. It's something I'm really proud of. So if you ever get the chance to do something extreme and out of your comfort zone, I suggest you do it. And although I still haven't gotten over my fear of heights, at least I still challenge it.