Carolyn's exhilaration of not being stopped by fear

Last week, many students in the program decided to take a trip to Plettenberg Bay to go bungee jumping at Bloukrans Bridge, the highest commercial bungee jump in the world. Considering my fairly significant fear of heights, this endeavor is one that I wasn’t sure I wanted to make. It was only after browsing Plettenberg Bay’s tourist website that my decision was made; on the bungee jump page there was a quote: “fear is temporary, regret is forever”. This quote really got to me and I knew that I would never forgive myself if I didn’t take the jump. So the day slowly approached and I managed to remain relatively calm, even walking the rickety bridge leading to the jump spot didn’t deter me. It wasn’t until I was escorted, ankles tied, to the edge of the bridge and saw the 708 foot drop below me that I finally realized what I was about to do. With the assistants counting to three, eyes squeezed shut, I made the jump, not hesitating for fear that I would change my mind. Ignoring the fact that I had jumped incorrectly (apparently you’re supposed to go head first) my fear was replaced by exhilaration and awe. Although I’m not sure I would do it again, I’m so glad I decided to jump. This experience has really made me want to leave my comfort zone more often. "The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all.”