#15: Go Parasailing

It's a bit shameful that it's been 8 months since I've updated this blog, although I like to think that I have good reason -- I started saving my money! I know it may seem weird for me to confess that previously I wasn't doing so, but the truth is that for the longest time I was literally living paycheck-to-paycheck, and while I was getting by and squeezing in a few extras along the way, I had a bit of an epiphany that a) if I ever want to buy a house b) if I want to be able to afford a new car when my lease expires and c) if God forbid I should ever get fired and need to support myself, I better start finding a way to save some money. Thus with the shift of a portion of my income to a savings account, much of the funds I was using to fulfill the tasks on my 30 things list went out the window. And let me tell you, I did not pick 30 cheap things!

Alas, I think it was my very dear friend Tausha that helped me have my second epiphany, as I was mentioning to her that money was holding me back and I wasn't sure if I'd get through my list. And if I've pegged her correctly, she swiftly replied that I shouldn't forget this is my blog and I make the rules! There's no one standing behind me punishing me for swapping out an item on the list or modifying it to make it more affordable. Once that clicked in my mind, I was re-inspired and ready to start checking off items again, even if it meant they'd be altered some from their original intention.

However, today's post really isn't meant to go into detail about how and when I'll be altering some of these items, but rather it's to get back on the bandwagon and share my story of conquering number 15: going parasailing!

 I have my good friends at Disney Vacation Club to thank for this one, as the admin on our team, Karen, who graces my pictures in this post, just happened to have the right connections and was able to secure a parasailing outing for our team for free (thanks Karen!)! So what started as just another day at work swiftly turned into the rare opportunity to check a normally very expensive item off my list without spending a dime. (I will say that my original intention was to go parasailing over the ocean somewhere, with the beautiful, crystal clear, blue water glistening beneath me, but settling for sky-high views of the Magic Kingdom, and even downtown Orlando just had to do!)

For those of you that haven't been parasailing before, I like to think of it as the perfect intersection between an adventure and relaxation. Obviously you've got the height factor -- which for us topped out at 600 feet -- but while you're in the air, it's as if you're the only person on the planet. The views are truly spectacular, and I was amazed at just how far I could see (it was a particularly clear morning). I think my biggest fear the entire time was that a nearby bird would fly into us/our parachute and wreak some havoc (which thankfully did not happen). I'll admit that I was death-gribbing the harness straps for the first five minutes or so, but once I realized I could relax my body and not fall to my death, it was a beautiful thing.

 

The flight in itself lasted for about 8-10 minutes and that's including the fairly slow ascent and descent (there's none of that stomach dropping feeling that most people hate). Unfortunately, there's not much opportunity to take pictures while you're in the air (unless you don't care about accidentally dropping your phone and/or camera into the water), so my photos are limited to before and afters. But once you're back in the boat, if you're with other folks going parasailing, you get to enjoy a nice 10-minute boat ride while you're friends are off floating through the sky - a really nice way to cap the experience.

I will say that now that I've done parasailing, I'm not sure I'd be willing to pay the typical $100 per person to do it again. But boy oh boy was it great to experience! And even better is that I've got another 30 things item on the schedule for just two weeks from now. I'll be heading to Disney's Vero Beach Resort for the weekend and it just so happens to be the very time of year that the loggerhead sea turtle eggs tend to start a'hatching. While there's no guarantee that it will happen the one night that I'm walking along that shoreline, I'm hoping that the 30 things gods bless me with a miracle! Speak to you then!