Over my first term break, I traveled the South Island with a good friend that I met at school! When we were in Queenstown I decided to try out the world’s highest cliff jump: the Shotover Canyon Swing. The jump is 109m high, with a 60m freefall and a 200m swing over a canyon! I second-guessed my decision a bit as I stood above a rushing creek that seemed miles below me.
To save money, I duct taped my camera to my hand so that I could catch my awesome jump on video (for proof, of course). The “Jump Masters” harnessed me in, and tried to psych me out as I stood over the ledge saying things like, “Well I hope this rope holds…but who knows!” It took me awhile to jump, but when I finally did I raced down the 60m freefall and within seconds I was swinging over a canyon looking above me at the platform from which I had jumped (BACKWARDS, might I add). I began to laugh. I let go of my harness and let myself spin around over the water, feeling very accomplished.
As I was being reeled back up over the canyon I kept thinking to myself, “no way did I just do that!” I stepped onto the platform once again. My heart was racing and my legs felt like Jell-O…It was awesome! The jump was so much fun that my friend and I decided to do another one together! We were attached at the hip, and dropped upside-down over the canyon. We watched the canyon race by us, and the river draw near. The freefall ended and we grabbed the harness to pull ourselves upright. Before we were reeled back up, we both dangled over the water, laughing and joking about how much fun the jump was. That is really how we have all been making friends here, by trying new things together! Doing the jump with someone else was fun because we went twice as fast and swung out twice as far! It was a totally different experience!
Throwing myself off a cliff gave me the biggest rush I had ever experienced. I really had to trust myself, and my instincts. Being in New Zealand, I have become more willing than ever before to try new things, and push my limits. My trip so far has taught me so much about myself, and has taught me that I am so much more capable than I ever could have imagined! I can hardly wait for the adventures to come in the next few months!
Lauren Anderson is a student at Drake University and a TEAN Featured Blogger. Lauren is currently studying abroad with TEAN in Wellington, New Zealand.
