If someone told me a year ago that I would be dangling over the edge of a cliff halfway around the world, I would have told them that they had the wrong girl. Heights tended to turn me into a jittery, nervous mess. However a year ago I was presented with an opportunity by People to People Student Ambassadors to go to Australia. Until I read the letter for the trip I believed that I would never get the chance to go on one of these amazing adventures and achieve one of my dreams.
Some activities that were included on the trip were scuba diving on The Great Barrier Reef, helping Marine Biologist collect data on dolphins, sand dune tobogganing, and abseiling down a cliff. When I first got a look at the activities I was filled with excitement and, at the same time, completely terrified. Not wanting to hold myself back from achieving my dream, I made a promise to try and do everything set before me. I leaned heavily on my promise throughout the trip. Whether it was trying new foods or taking the plunge into the Great Barrier Reef, I proved to myself that I could do anything. It was not until later in my adventures that I would push both myself and my promise to the limit.
I was headed towards the Blue Mountains in Sydney to abseil down a 214 foot cliff. In my head I was downplaying the situation to help me overcome the fear. Ironic enough I talked myself to the edge of the cliff, but not over it. I watched, with an outer body experience, as they hooked a rope onto my harness and I listened as they literary told me to jump off the cliff. I was petrified. My hands were clammy; I was shaking so much I was afraid I would not have a firm grasp on the safety rope. All the things I had accomplished flew out of my head, I was a nervous wreck. I realized as I tried not to look over the edge, that I never considered the possibility that I could do this. That I could jump over the ledge and that I had the power and capability in me all along. My fear of heights had completely clouded me from seeing the potential that I had. On the edge of that cliff I made another promise to myself. I would never, ever, let fear keep me from doing anything ever again. Then, I jumped.
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