Taupo Bungee and Cliff Hanger!
EDIT: Yay, photos are up! Go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2360700&id=6712442 to see them all!
Whoo! Finally did it! Yeah, you guys all knew that this was coming - at least, everyone over here has known for a while that I've been trying to bungee jump for over a month now. Everyone at home probably had a good idea, too. I wasn't exactly subtle about it. But yeah, one more thing to cross off the list! Darren and Leo did it about a month ago and, in hindsight, I really should have done it when they did. Not only was it great weather that day, but they also got an amazing discount because they talked to the right guy in reception and told him they worked at Blackcurrant. I tagged along with them that day and acted as the incompetent filmmaker from the sidelines, but I decided not to do it then because it was so spontaneous and I wasn't really feeling it. I was still tired from the day before and reasoned that I would have plenty of good days to do it when I was more in the mood. Not the case, it turns out. It has been, without fail for the last month, cold/overcast/rainy/miserable every single day that I've had off. So today was the only day I could do it and still get the Swing/Jump Special Combo for October. Luck was finally on my side!
The weather conditions and the view of the day
But on with the actual jump. I woke up this morning and looked up at the sky straight away. Behold! A hint of blue and only a little overcast. I will take it! So I helped out with the cleaning and kept glancing up every couple of hours. Viola, a German girl who came in not too long ago, recently got a job across town and had to drop her cleaning job here, so it was good fortune that I had the day off to step in for her. I will probably do the same thing tomorrow, with any luck. I can always use the free night of accommodation to ease the strain. Darren and everyone else around here has been giving me a bad time about this for quite some time now, so I'm happy to finally have that over with too. Basically, the script has gone, "I'm bungee jumping tomorrow! Yay!" "You sure? You didn't last week." "Oh yeah. Definitely this time. I don't even care if it rains." Next day: pouring bloody rain. "Sigh. Guess I'm not going after all." "What?! But you said you would! I think you're chickening out again!" "No really! If I'm spending that much money, I want to make it count and go on a good day." "Wuss! Coward! Blaming it on the weather!" "You guys suck!" And that has been the coffee conversation for the last month or so. I will be happy to change it for something equally predicable in the near future.
Not so cowardly after all
So after cleaning, I packed up my bag with an extra T-shirt and made sure that my camera was all charged up to go. I was debating whether or not I wanted to do a "water touch," but I decided to go ahead with it since, you know, what the heck. By the way, a water touch is just what it sounds like: getting dunked headfirst into the water as you go down. I guess they calibrate it so that it works out that way, but no guarantees - apparently it's not an exact science and doesn't always happen. So I got everything together and set out with Darren and Angie, a sweet little Canadian girl who has taken over as one of the permanent cleaners. They decided to go as moral support and be my cheerleaders. Leo was there in spirit. In body, he's probably having way too much fun in Tokyo right now. There was also some debate as to whether they were going to go or not. Darren had gone before, as I've already mentioned, but he was willing to go again, and Angie was just a few minutes of prodding away from doing it herself.
Darren as our trusty cameraman and Angie, the easily peer-pressured
We walked the ten or fifteen minutes it takes to get to the canyon and got there just about 12:30, which is apparently lunchtime for everyone there. It was absolutely dead on a Wednesday afternoon. The last couple of times I've gone, it's been packed with tourists and random people milling around to watch, so it was weird to see the place so quiet. Another couple eventually showed up as was very high energy, so that was a bit more like it. The girls behind the counter weren't nearly as "up" as the guy had been with Darren and Leo, so that was a bit of a shame. I'm not saying that they were unfriendly or anything, but they definitely didn't give off the same vibe and were really stingy about giving out discounts for local employees, even though that's pretty common around here. I was able to get the Bungee for $89 in the end, but that's a whole lot more than the scalper's prices that the boys got last month. I was a little down about that, but I decided to not let it ruin my day - I was still getting it for cheaper than advertised, after all. I was just mad for not going when I should have.
That was pretty much the only snag of the day, and that was just me being bitter about poor timing. The rest of it was just a blast. They told us to hang around for about half an hour while they got it set up and got some other people through first, so we just cruised around and shot the breeze until after 1pm. I taught Darren how to use my camcorder, and he caught on insultingly fast. He's much better at it than I am. I think I get impatient and zoom in on something else if nothing's happening and end up missing the actual event a lot. He's a very patient and articulate cameraman - I am leaving his commentary on completely for the edited version of my pre/post jump interviews because it's just that good. I think I may inaugurate a new drinking time for how many times he says "fear" out of boredom. Angie offered support in her calm and collected way. She kept everyone's blood pressure down and relaxed. We found the absolute best vantage point for catching the jump with my zoom lens after rejecting several other locations for various reasons. Of course, it happened to be about five minutes away down a steep hill, so that meant poor Darren had to book it over there as soon as we separated in order to catch me on film. While lugging my backpack and everything with him. He gets extra ginger biscuits tomorrow, especially since he did that instead of going to AC Baths for himself.
Messing around and getting ready to jump
After a lot of silliness and messing around, it was time for the actual thing to start. I got just a little jittery at that point, but that was mostly because of Henry's dramatic reading of a bungee horror story and through Paul's influenc e. It didn't really hit me that I was actually about to jump until it was practically time to go because we were so busy wandering around and having fun. The girl behind the counter called me over and hooked me up with a cool little badge while Darren and Angie hurried over to our pre-selected viewing location across from the cliff. I was given a red cord because I guess that has to do with weight and calibration or something. They told me that they would try to get me in the water, but no guarantees. To be honest, I didn't really care either way. I mean, I'd heard that it's pretty cool to plunge into the water and then get pulled out in a surreal reverse motion, but that would also mean going home and having to blow dry my hair and everything, so either way was fine with me.
The guys were pretty chill and had just come back from lunch, I think. They just got right to business and tied a couple straps around my ankles while asking me a couple of questions about my plans in New Zealand. I don't really remember what I said, but the DVD picks up a lot of dialogue about my job and stuff, so I guess I talked to them for a while. They said to just fall forward as opposed to jumping out, which was fine with me, and that was pretty much it. No real big safety speech or do's / do not's list. I guess it's pretty foolproof - stand in spot, lean forward, put hands out in front, dive. That's it.
See ya at the bottom!
I'm not going to lie: when you're actually standing there and looking down at where you're about to fall, there's a little bit of panic. I'm pretty good with heights, but it was a little freaky there for a split second. I forced myself to put it out of my head and just do it before I got second thoughts. I guy basically went, "Ok, now look up at the camera. Smile! Get in position. One. Two. Three. Bungee!" It felt like I hesitated there for a while before going, but the action looks pretty immediate on the video for some reason. Strange how that happens. I think that's the hardest part of the whole thing - the willpower to jump. Once you've committed yourself to falling and there's no turning back, there's nothing to do except hang on for the ride.
VIDEO CAN BE FOUND EITHER HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfOGZs4HC3Q
OR HERE: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2360700&id=6712442#!/video/video.php?v=754901354538&subj=6712442
I really, really wanted to scream at the first feeling of vertigo, but I held it in somehow. All that comes through on the DVD is a victory whoop at the very end. It's weird because it seems both blink-and-you-miss-it fast and time-stopped-for-a-heartbeat slow at the same time. Because it was literally only about two seconds or so to get from the platform and up again, but it seemed much longer than that. Unlike the skydiving experience, which is a little hazy in places due to brain shock, I remember falling towards the water and actually thinking, "Huh. I'm STILL falling," like it was longer than expected. Does that make sense? Anyway, about halfway down, tow things occurred simultaneously. One, it became clear to me that I probably wasn't going to hit the water because I just wasn't going fast enough. Two, my shirt, despite my best efforts, managed to rebel and untuck itself. It's only because it's so tight that it stopped at about midriff level and didn't give the cameras the satisfaction. Thank God.
The initial jump. Screaming hysterically inside.
So yeah. Didn't hit the water, but that was ok. As I was spinning around upside down with the blood rushing to my head, it became clear to me that someone was trying to get my attention. Oh yeah, the guys in the raft below me. Turns out they were trying to reach me with a pole, but I was hovering out of reach. So I did what came logically: I secured my shirt with one hand and reached out for the pole with the other. Perfectly reasonable. But Darren nearly killed himself laughing when he saw the DVD later because it looks like an honest-to-God inverted Superman pose, which is hilarious. Meanwhile, I'm carrying on with this babbling conversation and ignoring the fact that I'm hanging upside down. Ah, yes. They eventually got me into the raft and managed to get me safely back to shore. Then they kind of dropped me at a dock and took off, so I didn't get to talk to them for too long. The trail that they dropped me off at was actually incredibly cool - almost as foresty and pretty as the walk up Mount Tauhara. I'd like to go back there at some point and just walk around because I wasn't in the right head space at the time to appreciate it. I ended up skipping a large portion of it because I was so hopped up on the adrenaline, I sprinted the first half of the cliff. Darren and Angie met me halfway down, and we all walked back together. By the time we got there, the video had already been loaded, and I got to sit there and laugh at myself for a while.
A little help here?
Then came the really tough question: what next? I was fully prepared to end the day right there and go home with some sort of DVD package, but it was still up in the air. The package deal involved the swing and the bungee together for a little bit more, but I didn't really want to do the swing by myself, because the added weight of another person supposedly makes it a lot more fun. I guess you fall a lot faster and have more of an arc that way. It was really in Angie's court. I wasn't going to pressure her into doing it, but if she could be persuaded, I'd be all for it. Turns out, she didn't need all that much encouragement. I guess she was just teetering on the edge of going for it anyway. Yay! So we got her all signed up for the tandem swing with me, and off we went! Darren took off running like a shot with TWO backpacks and a camcorder while we got all suited up in in harnesses and stuff. The guys were really efficient and took a ton of time double-checking everything, so that was a lot of stress relief right there. I didn't really feel as nervous about the swing, but it was nice to see them being so thorough about it.
Getting into position
It's basically what it sounds like: a swing. They get you all strapped into this harness thing and then you lean back like it's a hammock with the other person next to you. You hang onto the cord above you and just don't touch any of the steel rings. Pretty simple. It's kind of funny because Angie was the one more reluctant to do it, and yet she was the one first over the edge because she was on the left-hand side. I still wasn't really scared at all because you feel like you're strapped into something and holding on for the swing, whereas the bungee feels like nothing but air until cord tightens up around your ankles. Then something unexpected happened: the guy let go without any warning whatsoever. It was awesome. He just went, "Ok, I'm going to make one last adjustment here so that the quick release-BOOM!" and pulled the cord mid-sentence. I screamed like a little girl all the way down and it was a blast. It was just the sudden drop that caught me by surprise that made the ride. If you watch the video, it sounds like a classic horror movie kind of scream, much to my amusement. Angie was screaming, too, but it just dissolved into hysterical laughter for both of us after the first swing back. Then we just sort of floated around in the air for a good two minutes or so, admiring the scenery as we swayed back and forth. I think there are pluses and minuses for both the bungee and the swing. The bungee is cool because you get that extreme rush more, but the swing is also cool because you can sit back and enjoy the view a bit more than the bungee. To each their own, I guess. I honestly can't pick one over the other because they were both fun.
VIDEO CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdeCuI-urrw
OR HERE: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2360700&id=6712442#!/video/video.php?v=754904513208&subj=6712442
Angie and I stayed down there chatting for a while as they slowly pulled us back up. Darren laughed about how I sort of let my arms hang out over the side a lot, like I was trying to touch the water even though we were nowhere near it, but it just felt nice to chill out. Then they took the harnesses off and let us go on our way. I was a little iffy about the DVD/photo package because it looked like they were going to try and rip me off for $50-80 each, depending on the deal, but I was able to get a USB with both videos and both photo galleries for $85 instead, which I considered a victory. I am usually very stingy with money, so it felt wrong to spend so much in one day, but it's really a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It works out because Angie is willing to give me some cash in exchange for the USB after I have taken everything of mine off of it, so it's even better.
Swing low, sweet chariot...my hair has a life of its own
After that, we all walked back to the hostel and had a BBQ of burgers and leftover salad from the night before over the balcony. Darren had to hurry because he had to work at 4, but Angie and I got to hang out on the deck and relax with some wine for a little while. That was pretty much the day. Just awesome. Definitely worth it in the end, even though it took forever and involved a bit more money than I was comfortable with. Oh well. I could possibly be persuaded to do it again, too, because I get a discount of $55 good for a year. You never know.
I think that's going to be the most excitement you hear from me this week. I have a few other things planned for sunnier weather, but nothing as extreme as bungee jumping and canyon swinging. Hope you guys are doing alright! Catch you next time!
Whoo! Finally did it! Yeah, you guys all knew that this was coming - at least, everyone over here has known for a while that I've been trying to bungee jump for over a month now. Everyone at home probably had a good idea, too. I wasn't exactly subtle about it. But yeah, one more thing to cross off the list! Darren and Leo did it about a month ago and, in hindsight, I really should have done it when they did. Not only was it great weather that day, but they also got an amazing discount because they talked to the right guy in reception and told him they worked at Blackcurrant. I tagged along with them that day and acted as the incompetent filmmaker from the sidelines, but I decided not to do it then because it was so spontaneous and I wasn't really feeling it. I was still tired from the day before and reasoned that I would have plenty of good days to do it when I was more in the mood. Not the case, it turns out. It has been, without fail for the last month, cold/overcast/rainy/miserable every single day that I've had off. So today was the only day I could do it and still get the Swing/Jump Special Combo for October. Luck was finally on my side!
The weather conditions and the view of the day
But on with the actual jump. I woke up this morning and looked up at the sky straight away. Behold! A hint of blue and only a little overcast. I will take it! So I helped out with the cleaning and kept glancing up every couple of hours. Viola, a German girl who came in not too long ago, recently got a job across town and had to drop her cleaning job here, so it was good fortune that I had the day off to step in for her. I will probably do the same thing tomorrow, with any luck. I can always use the free night of accommodation to ease the strain. Darren and everyone else around here has been giving me a bad time about this for quite some time now, so I'm happy to finally have that over with too. Basically, the script has gone, "I'm bungee jumping tomorrow! Yay!" "You sure? You didn't last week." "Oh yeah. Definitely this time. I don't even care if it rains." Next day: pouring bloody rain. "Sigh. Guess I'm not going after all." "What?! But you said you would! I think you're chickening out again!" "No really! If I'm spending that much money, I want to make it count and go on a good day." "Wuss! Coward! Blaming it on the weather!" "You guys suck!" And that has been the coffee conversation for the last month or so. I will be happy to change it for something equally predicable in the near future.
Not so cowardly after all
So after cleaning, I packed up my bag with an extra T-shirt and made sure that my camera was all charged up to go. I was debating whether or not I wanted to do a "water touch," but I decided to go ahead with it since, you know, what the heck. By the way, a water touch is just what it sounds like: getting dunked headfirst into the water as you go down. I guess they calibrate it so that it works out that way, but no guarantees - apparently it's not an exact science and doesn't always happen. So I got everything together and set out with Darren and Angie, a sweet little Canadian girl who has taken over as one of the permanent cleaners. They decided to go as moral support and be my cheerleaders. Leo was there in spirit. In body, he's probably having way too much fun in Tokyo right now. There was also some debate as to whether they were going to go or not. Darren had gone before, as I've already mentioned, but he was willing to go again, and Angie was just a few minutes of prodding away from doing it herself.
Darren as our trusty cameraman and Angie, the easily peer-pressured
We walked the ten or fifteen minutes it takes to get to the canyon and got there just about 12:30, which is apparently lunchtime for everyone there. It was absolutely dead on a Wednesday afternoon. The last couple of times I've gone, it's been packed with tourists and random people milling around to watch, so it was weird to see the place so quiet. Another couple eventually showed up as was very high energy, so that was a bit more like it. The girls behind the counter weren't nearly as "up" as the guy had been with Darren and Leo, so that was a bit of a shame. I'm not saying that they were unfriendly or anything, but they definitely didn't give off the same vibe and were really stingy about giving out discounts for local employees, even though that's pretty common around here. I was able to get the Bungee for $89 in the end, but that's a whole lot more than the scalper's prices that the boys got last month. I was a little down about that, but I decided to not let it ruin my day - I was still getting it for cheaper than advertised, after all. I was just mad for not going when I should have.
That was pretty much the only snag of the day, and that was just me being bitter about poor timing. The rest of it was just a blast. They told us to hang around for about half an hour while they got it set up and got some other people through first, so we just cruised around and shot the breeze until after 1pm. I taught Darren how to use my camcorder, and he caught on insultingly fast. He's much better at it than I am. I think I get impatient and zoom in on something else if nothing's happening and end up missing the actual event a lot. He's a very patient and articulate cameraman - I am leaving his commentary on completely for the edited version of my pre/post jump interviews because it's just that good. I think I may inaugurate a new drinking time for how many times he says "fear" out of boredom. Angie offered support in her calm and collected way. She kept everyone's blood pressure down and relaxed. We found the absolute best vantage point for catching the jump with my zoom lens after rejecting several other locations for various reasons. Of course, it happened to be about five minutes away down a steep hill, so that meant poor Darren had to book it over there as soon as we separated in order to catch me on film. While lugging my backpack and everything with him. He gets extra ginger biscuits tomorrow, especially since he did that instead of going to AC Baths for himself.
Messing around and getting ready to jump
After a lot of silliness and messing around, it was time for the actual thing to start. I got just a little jittery at that point, but that was mostly because of Henry's dramatic reading of a bungee horror story and through Paul's influenc e. It didn't really hit me that I was actually about to jump until it was practically time to go because we were so busy wandering around and having fun. The girl behind the counter called me over and hooked me up with a cool little badge while Darren and Angie hurried over to our pre-selected viewing location across from the cliff. I was given a red cord because I guess that has to do with weight and calibration or something. They told me that they would try to get me in the water, but no guarantees. To be honest, I didn't really care either way. I mean, I'd heard that it's pretty cool to plunge into the water and then get pulled out in a surreal reverse motion, but that would also mean going home and having to blow dry my hair and everything, so either way was fine with me.
The guys were pretty chill and had just come back from lunch, I think. They just got right to business and tied a couple straps around my ankles while asking me a couple of questions about my plans in New Zealand. I don't really remember what I said, but the DVD picks up a lot of dialogue about my job and stuff, so I guess I talked to them for a while. They said to just fall forward as opposed to jumping out, which was fine with me, and that was pretty much it. No real big safety speech or do's / do not's list. I guess it's pretty foolproof - stand in spot, lean forward, put hands out in front, dive. That's it.
See ya at the bottom!
I'm not going to lie: when you're actually standing there and looking down at where you're about to fall, there's a little bit of panic. I'm pretty good with heights, but it was a little freaky there for a split second. I forced myself to put it out of my head and just do it before I got second thoughts. I guy basically went, "Ok, now look up at the camera. Smile! Get in position. One. Two. Three. Bungee!" It felt like I hesitated there for a while before going, but the action looks pretty immediate on the video for some reason. Strange how that happens. I think that's the hardest part of the whole thing - the willpower to jump. Once you've committed yourself to falling and there's no turning back, there's nothing to do except hang on for the ride.
VIDEO CAN BE FOUND EITHER HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfOGZs4HC3Q
OR HERE: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2360700&id=6712442#!/video/video.php?v=754901354538&subj=6712442
I really, really wanted to scream at the first feeling of vertigo, but I held it in somehow. All that comes through on the DVD is a victory whoop at the very end. It's weird because it seems both blink-and-you-miss-it fast and time-stopped-for-a-heartbeat slow at the same time. Because it was literally only about two seconds or so to get from the platform and up again, but it seemed much longer than that. Unlike the skydiving experience, which is a little hazy in places due to brain shock, I remember falling towards the water and actually thinking, "Huh. I'm STILL falling," like it was longer than expected. Does that make sense? Anyway, about halfway down, tow things occurred simultaneously. One, it became clear to me that I probably wasn't going to hit the water because I just wasn't going fast enough. Two, my shirt, despite my best efforts, managed to rebel and untuck itself. It's only because it's so tight that it stopped at about midriff level and didn't give the cameras the satisfaction. Thank God.
The initial jump. Screaming hysterically inside.
So yeah. Didn't hit the water, but that was ok. As I was spinning around upside down with the blood rushing to my head, it became clear to me that someone was trying to get my attention. Oh yeah, the guys in the raft below me. Turns out they were trying to reach me with a pole, but I was hovering out of reach. So I did what came logically: I secured my shirt with one hand and reached out for the pole with the other. Perfectly reasonable. But Darren nearly killed himself laughing when he saw the DVD later because it looks like an honest-to-God inverted Superman pose, which is hilarious. Meanwhile, I'm carrying on with this babbling conversation and ignoring the fact that I'm hanging upside down. Ah, yes. They eventually got me into the raft and managed to get me safely back to shore. Then they kind of dropped me at a dock and took off, so I didn't get to talk to them for too long. The trail that they dropped me off at was actually incredibly cool - almost as foresty and pretty as the walk up Mount Tauhara. I'd like to go back there at some point and just walk around because I wasn't in the right head space at the time to appreciate it. I ended up skipping a large portion of it because I was so hopped up on the adrenaline, I sprinted the first half of the cliff. Darren and Angie met me halfway down, and we all walked back together. By the time we got there, the video had already been loaded, and I got to sit there and laugh at myself for a while.
A little help here?
Then came the really tough question: what next? I was fully prepared to end the day right there and go home with some sort of DVD package, but it was still up in the air. The package deal involved the swing and the bungee together for a little bit more, but I didn't really want to do the swing by myself, because the added weight of another person supposedly makes it a lot more fun. I guess you fall a lot faster and have more of an arc that way. It was really in Angie's court. I wasn't going to pressure her into doing it, but if she could be persuaded, I'd be all for it. Turns out, she didn't need all that much encouragement. I guess she was just teetering on the edge of going for it anyway. Yay! So we got her all signed up for the tandem swing with me, and off we went! Darren took off running like a shot with TWO backpacks and a camcorder while we got all suited up in in harnesses and stuff. The guys were really efficient and took a ton of time double-checking everything, so that was a lot of stress relief right there. I didn't really feel as nervous about the swing, but it was nice to see them being so thorough about it.
Getting into position
It's basically what it sounds like: a swing. They get you all strapped into this harness thing and then you lean back like it's a hammock with the other person next to you. You hang onto the cord above you and just don't touch any of the steel rings. Pretty simple. It's kind of funny because Angie was the one more reluctant to do it, and yet she was the one first over the edge because she was on the left-hand side. I still wasn't really scared at all because you feel like you're strapped into something and holding on for the swing, whereas the bungee feels like nothing but air until cord tightens up around your ankles. Then something unexpected happened: the guy let go without any warning whatsoever. It was awesome. He just went, "Ok, I'm going to make one last adjustment here so that the quick release-BOOM!" and pulled the cord mid-sentence. I screamed like a little girl all the way down and it was a blast. It was just the sudden drop that caught me by surprise that made the ride. If you watch the video, it sounds like a classic horror movie kind of scream, much to my amusement. Angie was screaming, too, but it just dissolved into hysterical laughter for both of us after the first swing back. Then we just sort of floated around in the air for a good two minutes or so, admiring the scenery as we swayed back and forth. I think there are pluses and minuses for both the bungee and the swing. The bungee is cool because you get that extreme rush more, but the swing is also cool because you can sit back and enjoy the view a bit more than the bungee. To each their own, I guess. I honestly can't pick one over the other because they were both fun.
VIDEO CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdeCuI-urrw
OR HERE: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2360700&id=6712442#!/video/video.php?v=754904513208&subj=6712442
Angie and I stayed down there chatting for a while as they slowly pulled us back up. Darren laughed about how I sort of let my arms hang out over the side a lot, like I was trying to touch the water even though we were nowhere near it, but it just felt nice to chill out. Then they took the harnesses off and let us go on our way. I was a little iffy about the DVD/photo package because it looked like they were going to try and rip me off for $50-80 each, depending on the deal, but I was able to get a USB with both videos and both photo galleries for $85 instead, which I considered a victory. I am usually very stingy with money, so it felt wrong to spend so much in one day, but it's really a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It works out because Angie is willing to give me some cash in exchange for the USB after I have taken everything of mine off of it, so it's even better.
Swing low, sweet chariot...my hair has a life of its own
After that, we all walked back to the hostel and had a BBQ of burgers and leftover salad from the night before over the balcony. Darren had to hurry because he had to work at 4, but Angie and I got to hang out on the deck and relax with some wine for a little while. That was pretty much the day. Just awesome. Definitely worth it in the end, even though it took forever and involved a bit more money than I was comfortable with. Oh well. I could possibly be persuaded to do it again, too, because I get a discount of $55 good for a year. You never know.
I think that's going to be the most excitement you hear from me this week. I have a few other things planned for sunnier weather, but nothing as extreme as bungee jumping and canyon swinging. Hope you guys are doing alright! Catch you next time!