Making dreams come true...

One of the reasons I love to travel so much is the stimulating growth one experiences through visiting a different place, learning something new or trying something out of the ordinary.

I don't just mean that once in a while opportunity to get to go on holiday, but those 52 short breaks we get every year to enjoy, appreciate and really embrace life.

We (most of us anyway) are so blessed to have 2 day breaks every week to go out and enjoy our surroundings. It may be a walk on the beachfront or a trip to the winelands, it may be a visit to the theatre, a restaurant, museum or park. Or even an adrenalin pumping activity. Whatever you choose to do, there really is so much on offer in and around where you live, you don't need to be confined to your comfort zone and only participate in routine activities.

A few weeks ago, I decided, along with my dad and Barry, to go paragliding. This is one of those things that I have always wanted to do and this year I decided, I am no longer saying "one day I'm going to...", instead, I am setting myself goals and making them happen.

A few days before we decided to go, we checked the weather for the weekend to ensure it was at its best. For paragliding, the best weather is wind at a speed of about 15km per hour. At 1pm on that Saturday afternoon we met with our pilots at the base of Lion's Head & began a mini hike to the launch pad.

I admit I was nervous. It's the unknown really that is so nerve-wracking. Not knowing what to expect. But once you're at the launch site and the pilot is briefing you on what to do, it all happens so fast you really don't have much time to think.

You get strapped in to a harness and your head is protected with the most flattering of helmets. :) You are lead to the base of the launch pad with your pilot and the kite is laid out across the area. The kite is strapped to the pilot and the pilot is strapped to you. Within seconds, the kite is raised into the air, the updraft of the wind pulls the kite up and you are hundreds of kilometres above sea level.

It is AWESOME! Unlike anything I have ever experienced before. Sitting in the harness, strapped in comfortably, it is not scary at all. It is smooth and peaceful and slow. The wind carries you up and down, left and right, you have 360' views of the entire city of Cape Town from a bird's eye view. You can chat to the pilot and take photographs. It really is out of this world.

Travelling above the ocean and doing a couple of paragliding tricks is slightly nerving, but it is all part of the experience and I am so happy to have had this opportunity.

xxx