We're Soarin', Flyin'

Palms sweating.

Stomach turning.

Heart racing.

We were ascending 1,000 meters up the Swiss Alps. My friend Nora and I jammed into a cable car with the company of professional skiers and mountain bikers. Before I arrived in Switzerland my mom warned me that altitude change can cause extreme nausea. Of course, I brushed off the warning because I'm an invincible teenager! Boy... was she right. I knelt to hang my head over my knees. I was seeing stars. 

I stepped out of the cable car, legs feeling like jello, onto the icy covered mountain top. Nora and I were greeted by our friendly paragliding guides. Together the four of us hiked to the area we would take off from. My nausea began to ease as the crisp autumn air cycled through my lungs. However, my nerves had yet to cease. 

The men carefully laid out the parachutes. They could feel me watching them. One of the men waved at me and said, "Cassidy, would you give me a hand?" This is when I signed my life away on a yellow square sheet of paper. There was no going back. I stood at the edge of the mountain convincing myself this would be a piece of cake. I could feel my adrenaline begin to kick in. I was ready to go.

The elder of the two tour guides said I would be flying with him. Mike has been paragliding for twenty years, so I felt I could trust him. He strapped the parachute cords to both our harnesses and gave me a detailed instruction for our take off procedure. I glance back at Nora. We simultaneously shake our heads with similar smirks on our faces. I knew we were both thinking the same thing-- What did we get ourselves into?

The time had come. Mike shouted 1, 2, 3 RUN! In sync, with full force ahead, we sprinted off the edge of the mountain. Before I knew it, we were flying. My nerves vanished as soon as my feet left the ground. I was soaring through the Swiss Alps. The tall snow covered mountains hung over the emerald green grass. The only sound was a crystal river flowing. The quietness allowed me to feel serene. I felt insignificant in comparison to my beautiful Swiss surroundings. I could see Nora's red parachute shrinking in the distance as she flew further away. I couldn't help but wonder if she was feeling the way I was. 

After twenty minutes of flying, we began our landing procedure. We slowly got closer to the ground. Once we landed, I laid out flat on the grass. It was good to be back. I had an ear to ear smile on my face as I thought about what I just accomplished. I fought through the head spins and shaky limbs. I felt empowered after overcoming my intense feelings of anxiety and fear. I proved my strength and this was something to be proud of. This experience showed me that I don't give myself enough credit. I am confident I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. I now believe in my strength.