One of the best parts of hosting our guests at AdventureWomen on adventure travel experiences is when we return home and one of you sends us a story like this one from Nadine C.
The personal impact of an adventure travel trip is different for each of us because we all go through it with a unique, individual story before, and after it. For some of us, these journeys are enjoyable escapes from our routines. But for others, they represent a step forward in our lives, a turning point, a new beginning, and new energy.
Nadine recently traveled with us to New Zealand and afterwards, she wanted to share her story with Judi, co-owner and AdventureWomen’s Ambassador on the trip. Here’s why.
Nadine in true “Adventure Woman” mode getting ready for her sky diving jump in New Zealand!
On a bumpy bus ride with the AdventureWomen tribe after my New Zealand trip, I wrote a passage in my journal about why it was so important to me. I shared it with Judi because I wanted her to know that Adventure Women has become part of my story, my life path, in a special way. Since returning home, I’ve continued to think and write a little about the powerful meaning of the experience.
Nadine right after jumping out of the plane after her New Zealand trip with AdventureWomen
Skydiving was never on my bucket list. In fact, a few years ago, I recall talking to someone about her promise to her daughter about going skydiving when she reached a certain age. I remember saying “no way would I ever jump out of a plane!” It was, for me, the massive fear of falling into thin air. Heavens, I have a problem going forward on a Ferris wheel!
Over time, that fear of skydiving never changed. However, with my decision to join AdventureWomen in New Zealand, I felt like the opportunity to skydive presented itself for a reason. I chose to take advantage of it to prove to myself that I could embrace fear and feel it pass through me and over me, and I’d still be here at the end. I kind of feel it was a metaphor for my life.
On the plane, I was comforted to know I was in tandem with someone experienced and I felt surprisingly calm as we entered the door way. I even remember helping to inch us over to the jump and that I willingly leaned out of the plane. Initially my heart went into my throat because of the fear. The fall and speed into nothingness is mind blowing. Although my fear remained throughout, it lessened, and was finally overtaken by exhilaration. It may not have been apparent in the video, but I was yelling “this is SO awesome” and I was thinking “I did this, I’ve done it!”
Watch the video:
Coming home and sharing the photos and video with friends and family on Facebook has been fun and I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. I accept it all with great… humility? Yet I don’t want to lose site of the fact that I did this for very personal reasons…I was motivated to prove something to myself. It was not to show off for others. It was about many personal things but maybe most of all to know that now I can stay present no matter what happens. I am very proud.
I have faced many challenges in my life. Sometimes the fear was so great that the instinct for self- preservation removed the experience from my consciousness. Other times, I was able to make the choice to be courageous in the face of fear. This trip to New Zealand with Adventure Women presented the opportunity to further test myself. Skydiving was an immense personal challenge. I needed to know that I could do it – that I could embrace my fear, let it pass through me, and then look back to see that it was gone and I’m still here.
Nadine on the ground after her sky diving fun in New Zealand
Thank you Nadine for taking the time to share this wonderful, personal story with us. These are the moments which make us all smile at AdventureWomen.
