Who wants to read my college essay?

“5-4-3-2-1 BUNGEE”!
    It was like nothing else I’ve ever felt: the rush of air, the absence of sound, the liberating freedom to fall four hundred and forty feet over a river gorge. The feeling is inexplicable, something to experience first-hand.  I dove with closed eyes and opened them after I had relaxed into a graceful descend.  With the air whipping against my face, I felt like a bird. The view was spectacular and I had absolutely no regrets of taking the leap.  I laughed at how scared I was before the jump and promised myself to never let fear crush my ability to overcome feelings of apprehension.
    The four-hour excursion started off with a 35 minute, four-wheel drive on rugged terrain.  I had convinced my sister to join me.  This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we did not know the next time we would find ourselves in New Zealand.  We were grouped with a rowdy crowd of 20-year-old guys and a quiet family.  The ride was bumpy as I attempted to meditate before the jump and stop my legs from trembling.  The driver blasted “Eye of the Tiger” on the stereo as we started the adventure.  The guys in the back belched the lyrics while my sister and I were anxious to get to the jump site. Up ahead we saw a vertical incline.  My sister murmured with wide eyes, “Oh my God.”   I remained calm as the guys started to shout obscenities and the driver turned up the theme of Jaws. Not wanting to encourage my sister’s anxiety, I remained tranquil and found comfort in thinking of the several times this drive was made and how professionally trained the crewmembers were.
    Once the van made it to the top, we got out and immediately given body harnesses.  I made sure my sister was secured tightly into her harness before tightening my own. We were soon instructed on jumping form and how to fall off of the platform. 
    The jump pod was situated in the middle of the gorge, supported by wires that stretched from one side of the canyon to the other. I saw the wires shake once a small shuttle took half of the group over to the jump pod. My sister noticed my hands shaking and I told her it was because of the cool weather.  I was in the second group and we soon made our way unto the jump pod. Before anyone could jump, we were weighed to determine the order of jumps.  Barely meeting the weight requirement and just over five feet tall, I would be the last one to make the biggest leap of faith on the Southern Hemisphere.  I was eager to jump, and one by one, I watched each person jump and come back up saying that it was one of the most amazing experiences of their lives. I continued to tug my harness tighter.
    When it was my turn, most of the group shuttled back to the jump site waiting to watch the last jumper.  There were two crewmembers and my sister there with me in the jump pod.  One of the crewmembers loosened my jump suit muttering that I had made it too tight.  He harnessed my feet together and commented on how painful it must be to watch everyone else jump before me.  Feeling the sudden need to use the ladies room, I responded laconically.  My hands shook and as I took the platform. I glanced down to the Nevis river far, far down and asked myself why I had paid two hundred and forty dollars to cheat death.
    The other crewmember asked if I was ready and I politely asked him to wait a minute.  I shook out my nerves and said out loud, “just do it”.  He then started the countdown. 5-4-3-2-1… and I jumped. 
   
    I returned to the jump site with applause, congratulations and comments on my superb jumping form.  I basked in the glory of my achievement giving high-fives to all who had jumped.  We all had accepted and conquered the four hundred and forty foot jump as we laughed and sang on the ride back to the jump center.
    It was my choice. I stood at the edge and faced the challenge because I knew I could rise above the fear and anything else that made me feel reluctant to face it.  The adrenaline rush, the mind-blowing sensation, and the incapacity to breath for 8.5 seconds made the whole experience the more exciting. In the words of Vincent Van Gogh, “what would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything”?  I learned from this test of courage that I could face almost anything in my future endeavors; passing an exam is far much easier than free falling hundreds of feet off a platform. Now, I think of fears and challenges in a different way.  Jumping off a platform: difficult, but possible.  Getting into college, graduating with a degree from an esteemed university, and taking up a dream job: piece of cake.