Adrenaline Junky’s Wishlist

“If your friends jumped off a bridge would you do it too?”

Who else remembers the adults in their life asking them that? For me it had a habit of popping up whenever I mentioned something vaguely interesting or risky my friends were doing. My parents insisted that they asked this question to help me become a critical and independent thinker, free of outside influence.

So I thought independently of them and went bungee jumping.

They’ve stopped asking.

That same trip I also went over the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world. In fact, I loved the thrill of both so much that it turned me into a bit of adrenalin junky. Not hardcore, but I now love a good rush! I’m hoping that when Covid is over I’ll be able to travel to these places to get my fix of fun! Obviously these things need to be done with professional assistance, don’t go doing these things by yourself!

#1. Skydiving

I was given the chance to go skydiving in New Zealand but I passed it up and I regret it so much! The next chance I get, I’ll be in the front of the queue. At AJ Hackett’s in Queenstown New Zealand when asked which jump I wanted to take, the Bridge Jump (lowest), the Swing, or the Nevis (highest), I remember saying, to the great amusement of the person at the counter, “Nevis. Go big or go home, right?” The highest sky diving point is apparently from a helicopter off of Chomolungma, or Mount Everest. It’s expensive, $30,000 USD last I checked (yikes!), but there is a reason I called this a wish-list!

#2. Swimming with Great Whites

I just really want to swim with sharks. Preferably without a cage, but if it takes a cage to get me in the water then so be it. I’ve wanted to do this since I was about twelve, sitting in front of the TV with Grandma Lostman watching Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Swimming with chainmail on the bottom of a coral reef never appealed to me, but seeing those giant Great Whites appear, literally, out of the blue, my little heart wanted to experience that for itself! The best place to see them is apparently in Guadalupe, an Island off the western coast of Guadalupe.

#3. Base Jumping

Picture it. You’re at the top of a cliff. The wind lifts your hair, as you look down on the crags below. You hear l’appel du vide, the call of the void, jump, it whispers. You lean forward, your heart tight in your throat.

You’re falling. Air rushes past you. Your mind is screaming, I’m going to die! There’s nothing but you, your fear, and the wind. You spread your limbs and POOF! The webbing in your suit catches the wind and suddenly you’re suddenly a flying squirrel, gliding along the air currents. You’re flying! Not on a plane, not because of a parachute, YOU are flying! I can’t imagine how exhilarating it must be, but I don’t want to imagine it. I want to do it!

#4. High Diving (Sliding?)

This one is a new discovery! Apparently you put on a wet suit and slide down what is essentially a massive waterslide with an upturned end that launches you into whatever body of water is at the end. It sounds super fun but worth a bit of research. Apparently you wear a lifejacket during this whole process, which doesn’t sound like the best idea to me, considering how it panned out for passengers of the Titanic (the lifejacket snapped their neck as they jumped from the bow of the boat). Those jackets were made differently than modern ones though, so it’s definitely worth a look! There’s one in Texas called the BSR Royal Flush which looks amazing and doesn’t require lifejackets.

#5. Wing Walking

Yes, exactly like those high-flying circus acts. Although in the modern day and age you’re given a safety harness and are strapped to wings. I’d love to pilot the plane too, because who wouldn’t? They’re biplanes from the 1940s, as a history nerd that’s a dream in itself come true, but walking on the wings? Sign me up!

#6 BONUS! Fly a Jet

There is a place in Russia that will let you fly a MiG – 29 Jet. Yes. A JET. THEY LET YOU FLY IT. It’s a Cold War era jet, but to me that makes it all that much cooler. They’ll do aerial acrobatics, go supersonic, and get as high as they can, the closest to space most of us will ever come. This is all done by YOU. You have a co-pilot with you of course but apparently they let you take control. For how long and how much I don’t know, but I cannot express how much I want to do this!

I’m always looking for new, daring, thrilling things to do during my trips so if you know of an activity that will get your heart pumping let me know in the comments!

Wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay safe gentle readers.