Last Saturday I did something, that was the most terrifying and exhilarating thing I have ever done. Yup. I went Bunjee Jumping. A coworker and I had been talking about going for a while, but every Saturday something else came up. Finally we made the two hour journey (by all means of transportation: Subway, bus, and taxi) and went to Yuldong park. We had to take a ticket, to mark our reservation, and then we walked around the park. The funny thing (and I feel confident telling you this because I survived the jump) is that Korea has such a different way of doing things (I know- shocking!). But seriously, we paid our money, wrote down our name, got into our gear and went up the tower. There was no demonstration, no liability waivers, no safety talk. Just the two minutes it takes to pay and put on your harness. The elevator ride to the top was the worst. It went really slow and looking down at the water, I started freaking out. There was no way I was going to be able to jump off this!
We watched a group of 4 Korean men jump before us, and I was thinking Okay. I can do this. It doesn't look that bad, and they didn't die! What really motivated me was in the elevator there are pictures of people jumping and in one, this tiny Korean woman is leaping off the tower in HIGH HEELS! I mean, really, if people can jump off this in high heels, There is no reason I can't!
Finally it was my turn, and I was so nervous! I was shaking, and close to hyperventilating. The worker said come stand of the edge, with your feet half off. I went to the edge and looked over, and I have never felt more terrified in my life. I thought I must be crazy to willingly jump of this thing. But, then again, if I could do this, I can do anything! The worker said look at that house in the distance, and jump towards it. And then "5-4-3-2-1-BUNJEE" and I was off! Really, you never believe it until it happens, but 5 seconds can literally slow down, and feel like forever. One second I was staring a house, and then all of a sudden staring right down into water. And I thought I was never going to stop. I was just plummeting to my death. And then the roped tightened, and I went back up and down for a while, screaming like a maniac, laughing, and crying. Never have I ever had so much adrenaline pumping through me.
My friend Trish was next, and sadly, she didn't jump. She got to the edge, and realized she couldn't do it. Apparently 50% of people who go up the tower don't jump. I am proud to say that I am among the 50% who did!
Just this Saturday 10 of us rallied together, and went river rafting.
Rafting was a blast. Our instructor was really funny, and determined to make all of us go into the water which not all of us were too thrilled about. Really, why would someone go rafting if they didn't want to get wet? Ahh, the life of a high maintenance woman! But in all seriousness, we had a blast.
The rafting was fun, but our bus ride was the most entertaining. Our trip was only suppose to take us 2 1/2 hours, and instead took us 6 hours! It was a long weekend, and so the roads were super busy, our bus driver got lost once or twice, and okay (if any of you know me well) I had to pee at least twice. But overall the day was a complete success. We all survived, ate really bad corn on the cobb, washed off in freezing cold showers, and made it back to Ansan without missing appendages.
Oh how I wish I could have seen you jump! Great job!
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