Speaking of Falls.

My stomach felt weird the moment I woke up.

Bungee Jumping.

I knew there had been a reason for me telling the group that I was going to do it the day before. I was already thinking about chickening out and it wasn't even 8:00 in the morning yet.

I counted my money. I would be cutting it close for the rest of the trip. I would be cutting it really close.

So I debated not doing it under the pretense that I was merely being fiscally responsible.

But when the desk opened at 10:00, I marched up to the front and made my reservation before I could change my mind again.

Jeff signed up too. That was pretty cool.

We got on the shuttle, which took us to the border. The Victoria Falls Bridge borders both Zambia and Zimbabwe. 

Zimbabwe, baby.

We decided to watch the first person of the day jump off before we went in and actually paid.

The bungee cord had snapped on a girl a month ago. She survived, but still, I had heard that there were crocodiles down there. Death by crocodile is pretty high up on my list of ten worst ways to die. I thought about backing out again.

The first person of the day was actually an employee. He did a back flip off the platform. Of course he did. He was fine. Of course he was.

So I went in and paid instead.

And then we had to wait for ages. I was number 13. Lucky number. Anyways, I got to watch twelve other people jump off before me. Some were graceful, and some were a little less so. I already knew I was going to scream, no helping that. Still, I hoped it would be a good scream and not a gurgle or something ridiculous like that.

My biggest fear was throwing up. I didn't want to throw up. Not when I was falling, not when I was hanging at the bottom, and not when I got back on solid ground.

Then it was my turn.

I thought, "You're wrapping towels around my legs. Towels.
I'm going to die."

They wrapped towels around your feet. They wrapped the rope around the towels. I watched twelve other people jump off safely before me, and I still thought, "How does this even work? Who thought this would be a good idea?"

oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. 

Five. Four. Three. Two. One. 

BUNGEE.

Flopping around at the bottom after I stopped free-falling. 

When you're standing at the edge of the platform, and they start counting down--that feeling. It's indescribable.

It was "Five, four, three, two, one, BUNGEE!"

And I didn't jump.

They yelled out, "JUMP!"

I thought- I can either jump or be pushed off.

Big life decision, really.

I thought- I'm a jumper, and

I jumped off.

They say the ride doesn't last very long. All I know is that it felt like an eternity. Falling did. There was a roar in my ears and I couldn't hear myself screaming, but I knew that I was, and

in that eternity of a moment I wasn't scared at all.

Nothing like some good ol' Evanescence to intensify the mood.

When I got back onto the bridge, they clipped me to a wire, and said, "Okay, you can walk back now."

My legs were shaking. But I didn't throw up.

Jeff and I paid for the combo deal. It meant we got to do the swing as well.

I got back up to the platform and thought, "Oh, jeez. This is scarier the second time around."

On the platform for the second time.

swingin.

down by the water, waiting to get pulled back up.

The swing was scarier than the bungee-jump, to be completely honest. The free-fall was longer. But the view was beautiful. Because you're not hanging upside down by your feet, you can really take it all in. Lot of little waterfalls trickling down the sides of the ravine. Lush greenery. Rocks. Crevices. The mist from Victoria Falls. Wonder.

oh HAI.
coming back up.

I couldn't be happier I decided to do it.

I still don't know if I would do it again. It would have to be somewhere pretty cool.

Like, even cooler than Livingstone, Zambia.

The ravine.

Victoria Falls Bridge from a distance.