yesterday morning i was woken around 11:00 by a call from my friend erik. "wanna go bungee jumping today?" he said. a few hours later, surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery, i jumped off of a 160-foot metal tower with an elastic cord harnessed to my waist. i screamed bloody murder as i plunged toward the lake below, and then alternated between relieved laughter and small shrieks until i stopped bouncing and was lowered into the boat waiting below. it seemed like it was over in the blink of an eye, but the adrenaline rush lasted for hours afterward.
let me point out two things in regards to this adventure:
one, this past month has been all about taking risks. conquering fears. doing things i've never done before, things i never wanted to do, and things i never thought i could do.
two, i am terrified of bungee jumping. i have never wanted to do it, and until about three weeks ago when we all first talked about going, i didn't think i ever would.
so i jumped.
it's korea's fault. living here has opened me up to so many new things, put me into so many tough situations and challenged me in so many ways; when i learned and grew in the face of those things, it drove me in turn to begin challenging myself. in the past two or so months in particular i have pushed myself to do crazy and/or scary stuff and put myself in situations that made me nervous, and it has been amazing. some days i still can't believe i came here, but that thought is always immediately followed by an immense gratitude that i did. i feel like all of this, the past seven and a half months, has been leading up to this weekend and the incredible sense of feeling alive that i now have. it's deep and it's beautiful, and i can't imagine any other road that would have led me to this point. every new thing i do is another step on the journey to becoming the person i want to be, a person i was just starting to see before leaving. that leap into thin air is a true affirmation of the growth i've experienced since coming here.
and to think i was going to spend yesterday relaxing in bed.
my wish for all of you in the days and weeks and months ahead is that you experience some moments that remind you of what it means to truly be alive. savor them. breathe them in. take them and run with them.
i hope this finds you all well. i miss everyone and appreciate all the emails, photos comments, and wall posts. keep in touch! here is a link to my photos from november:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2010982&l=b64ab&id=148800130
much love,
heather
it is the passion flowing right on through your veins
it is the feeling like you're oh so glad you came
it is the moment you remember you're alive
it is the air you breathe, the element, the fire
-nelly furtado, "forca"
