Travel is not just an activity, it is also a great teacher and for the ones who wish to get ahead in life, it brings the best lessons through the most amazing experiences. When Ksenia Fisenko decided to face her fear of bungee, she never knew it will become a lifetime memory for her, she never knew that she could meet her soulmate while conquering her sole fear. Let’s travel back in time with Ksenia to be a part of her life’s most adventurous experience which changed her for good.
After having visited the top ten places on my bucket list, I decided to try something adventurous which also lead to conquering my biggest fears! I tried scuba diving, hiking, and sky diving but one thing which scared the hell out of me was bungee jumping! Bungee jumping was one adventure which evoked both fear and excitement and I had seen hundreds of videos so far just to make my first jump the most perfect one!
Take A Leap Of Faith: Places To Bungee Jump In India
I was a 23 years old solo traveler who loved to join strangers in groups occasionally. So this time, I came in contact with a group full of thrill and excitement and they were going to go bungee jumping over the Zambezi river at Victoria Falls. I had always loved Victoria falls but the idea of jumping from a bridge 111m over a gorge seemed scary and I was not very convinced till the last moment. I decided that I will go after others so that I could observe the activity fully if the videos had not helped enough!
I stood on the platform with my ankles tied together, I was so nervous that even the breathtaking view and the thundering falls behind could not soothe me. “Should I jump, or should I ask someone to push me or to wait for someone to tell me NO REFUND AT ALL!” I kept telling them that I will jump by myself so they should just be patient and then when I couldn’t gather the courage to jump I told them to push me. I did not allow the thought of going back to hit my mind. And then, someone pushed me and I opened my arms in the air, with my eyes firmly closed.
Adventure Sports In Mountains
I started enjoying the wind rushing past my ears and I felt as if the speed had slowed down. I did not know what had happened and took it to be normal. Just then, I realized that something was not right as I could not breathe. The rope had snapped! I was struggling in the river which was turbulent and with my ankles still tied together, I was pulled downriver and underwater into whirlpools. I still had a very long piece of rope tied to me and it made the struggle worse at times. The fight continued for a long time which felt like ages and I was hurt and injured. I kept trying to get out of the water as I was running out of energy and my vision started to fade.
After being in water for almost an hour I managed to get to the side of the river and a man from the bungee jumping team reached me with first aid. He helped me throw up the water and treated my bruises and injuries. They took me to the hospital where I was put on a ventilator. Luckily everything was alright and after spending two days in the hospital I was discharged.
Book a flight to Mumbai.
The incident filled my heart with anxiety and fear. For nearly two years even the word jump scared me like anything, that was the extent to which the accident had affected me. And yet somewhere at the back of my mind the same fear was inviting me to become a friend. I could not watch the videos of people jumping off the platforms, neither could I ever think of trying the activity again. My family had got it in written with all emotional tools used that I will never ever try any such activity in my life.
Two years later, on my trip to New Zealand I came in touch with a group was eon an exploring spree. I spent a great deal of time with this group particularly because I saw some spark in a pair of eyes which had the power to hold the entire universe together. Since New Zealand is known for Bungee Jumping, they were all set to go for the activity and I withdrew for obvious reasons. Under the star studded sky, I shared my horrible experience with everyone and the guy, his name was Mark, tried to convince me that it was just a matter of chance. “Thousands of people try this activity and they all manage it well. What happened with you was a matter of chance and you should rather be determined to overcome this fear. See you tomorrow!”
Something from within told me that I should take this risk and I joined the group the next morning. They were all surprised to see me and so was I to see myself there. I was all set to jump from 134m with the Nevis River flowing below, it is the highest bunjee in New Zealand till date. I decided to go first this time with a blank mind. I took a deep breath and jumped off like I was taking a leap of faith. Mark was on the mark when he encouraged me and we together have jumped 111 times so far! Since then, I met a fearless life and also my soul-mate during that life changing trip.
Sometimes the biggest falls take you to the greatest heights!
