Last weekend a group of us travelled to Plattenberg Bay to see what The
Garden Route is all about. The eight-hour drive proved to live up to everything
we had heard- beautiful mountain ranges mixed with gorgeous shorelines. Though
it was a quick trip, it was one of the best weekends I’ve had in Cape Town.
Then again, all of my weekends seem to be pretty amazing, but this one stood
out for a very special reason.
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| Erica getting a hug |
After cave spelunking and visiting an elephant sanctuary, I thought I had
fulfilled all of my adventurous cravings. This proved to be just the tip of my
exploratory weekend, as I decided to partake in something I swore I would never
do- bungee jumping. I had a nervous, sick-to-my-stomach feeling the entire time
leading up to this feat, but somehow overcame this (very rational) fear. As I
signed my life away, I realized that though I was extremely scared, I knew it
was something I had to do. I knew that if I hadn’t gone, I would have regretted
it forever. That being said, I took a deep breath, and decided to put my
harness on. I then proceded to follow my fellow co educators on a terrifying
walk over a bridge, in which was enclosed yet completely open. You could see
for miles to your left and right and then 700 feet down. I hardly looked down,
as I felt a heat of panic overcome me. I decided to look straight ahead, and
hold very tightly onto the railing on either side of me. Finally, the bridge
was over and we made it to our destination: right underneath the world’s
highest commercial suspension bridge. My troubles seemed to fade instantly once
I was reunited with the group. We were all so supportive of one another and
helped to pump each other up. The DJ certainly helped, as the loud, electronic
music gave us even more adrenaline. Andrea was up first and went ever so
gracefully. After that, it seemed like clockwork for the rest of the group as
one bravely jumped after the other. It was finally my turn and though I had
been excited to do this, my fears set in again as my toes reached the edge. In
that moment, I felt that I would not go through with it, but again, knew it was
something I needed to do. 5…4…3…2…1… BUNGEE!
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| Erica's jump off the bridge |
And just like that, I had jumped
off of a bridge. The first few seconds were a blur, but as I came down and the
bungee started working, I felt an overwhelming sensation of ease. As I came up
and down, I felt completely Zen. It was a very unique feeling- to be completely
turned upside down and only suspended by a cord, but I enjoyed it. I felt very
serene in the air, as I focused on how quiet and peaceful the world around me
was. A few seconds later, I was escorted up and brought back to reality. I
think I would have enjoyed a few more moments in the air, but I was very
thankful to be back and standing upright.
I found that, because of the moral support of the group and the people
working on the top of the bridge, I was able to do something daring. Without
this encouragement, I don’t know if I would be able to tell this story. I feel
so lucky to constantly be supported in my endeavors, even if they include
jumping off a bridge. Now I know how the phrase, “If your friends jumped off a
bridge…” came about, as I feel that I certainly would not have been able to do
it without them!
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| Andrea, Kelsey, JR, Carolyn, Carl, Ethan, Allie, Melissa, Wylie, Larissa, Aimee, Morgan, Vara, Sharon, Erica |
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