MY Travel Stories & Thoughts

Normally I’d be ecstatic to arrive in a place like this, but as a tired traveler ready to go home who also had a bad head-cold, initially I had to force some of the excitement . But there was one particular activity I had fire left in me for; it was an idea that had been marinating in the back of my head for months…skydiving.

Now frankly I have a feeling a lot of people view me as this fearless, adventurous person who will do anything just because I travel a lot. But no, no. In reality, free falling is one of my biggest fears and while I’ve always wanted to skydive, it’s not because I actually wanted to – but rather because I feel like I can’t die without doing it once. Basically, I refuse to let my anxiety get the best of me. I may cry or faint but I’m doing it.

Back in 2015, during my first trip outside of the United States to CapeTown South Africa, I had tried to go skydiving several times. But up until the last day of being there, it was canceled repeatedly for wind and bad weather.

Since then I’ve been on the lookout for the right place to reluctantly jump out of a plane. During my research of South America, I heard about this destination called Pucón where you could skydive next to a volcano! I thought, “Well, I guess if I’m going to do it might as well be in the most extravagant fashion.” So I promised myself whenever I arrived in Pucón, I would go.

Now while I listened to the receptionist at my hostel explain all the different activities to do here, my mind was already made up of one thing I was going to do.

My first problem though, was getting over the stubborn head cold I had acquired as the seasons changed and the temperature dropped. As if there was a hammer to it, my head pounded and my nose and ears were clogged. Not only would it be incredibly embarrassing for snot to fly out of my nose at the expense of the professional skydiver strapped behind me, but you can also burst an eardrum plummeting through pressure changes while congested. 

So in an attempt to rid myself of my head cold, I opted for more laid-back activities in the days leading up such as kayaking on a calm lake, horsebacking riding, an easy hike and reading in cafes. No rafting through freezing cold water for me.