The man next to me is indulged in his Golfer's Digest, occasionally drifting asleep amidst the boredom of golf itself.
I, myself, have quickly sifted through my Surfing magazines, catching the old lady next to me attempting to sneak some peeks of Kelly Slater and Kohloe Andino and their sun kissed skin. Of course, I am to protect my sister in Christ from stumbling, so I quickly turn the page and giggle to myself. Want to know how I know the woman is looking? The sun reflects off the blond hairs of her mustache, and I catch that in my peripherals...only when she is looking my way. Haha
As I have no other choice than to reflect on this moment, I would like to thank those who have supported my entire adventures. Just know I am deeply thankful, and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the encouragement I received in the months leading up to my flight. God has been very good to me, and please let it be known that it has been complete trust and faith in Him that has got me this far in my life. If you don't know Him, talk to me sometime.
I am currently sitting in Row 15 of the Virgin Australia flight. The two rows in front of me are the exit seats lined with 12 lucky customers who have earned the privilege of extra leg space.
These lucky winners range in age from 37 to 70, and I write to you in distress over the fact that if the plane goes down, they are the first ones to book it. I watched as the flight attendant explained the procedures to them, and what to do in case of emergency. Each of them bobbed their crowns up and down and agreed to aid in service. I winced at their apathetic nature and began to daydream. I could see myself all over Australian and American social media and broadcasting networks as they proudly proclaim about the lone American who saved the passengers of flight number 1314. Good Morning America would be the first interview I would accept, and I would suddenly receive hundreds of random Facebook friend requests from creepers wanting to know who this mystery American is.
I quickly snapped out of my daydream when the plane began to dip into a vertical position. The seatbelt signal began to flash uncontrollably and each attendant began encouraging the passengers that this was unique on each flight to Cairns.
Just kidding. But Aussies are encouragingly sarcastic like that, so it wouldn't surprise me if that was their response.
Well, I will continue my journey with you when I reach AJ Hackett for the biggest adrenaline rush of my life. If I don't make it, please tell my Mom and Brother and Teddy and Simba I love them.
Well, I made it. Cairns is even more of what I truly expected Australia to be. Picture warm weather, luscious green mountains and crystal blue waters and you have reached Cairns. The town is small, much like Lake Geneva. Tourists are obviously the number one priority, and this is seen with the plethora of Youth Hostels and travel agencies that line every narrow road. Gilligans is my place of rest, and it's actually not too bad. My room is above the club below, and I actually had the privilege of seeing DJ Niño Brown! Haha For those who may be curious, hostels are much like hotels, except anyone can be in your room and it's dirt cheap. Sometimes you get strange people in your room, who also bring guests home as well. I'll leave it at that.
Excitement and anxiety began to set in as the great AJ Hackett shuttle arrived for our travel to jump! My group and I were jumping for joy to do one of the most wild things we can ever say we have done! Matt was our driver, and provided the basic rules for the jump, he then passed out forms so we could sign our lives away in case of an accident. By this moment, all I could think about is what would happen if my spinal cord snapped, and I was a vegetable for the rest of my life. We continued to drive along the tropical streets, and Matt informed us about the 12 foot Crocs that swarm the waters of Cairns. Up until last year, the locals still swam in the rivers, until a croc ate one of them. Then it wasn't all fun and games. Haha
Upon arrival, most of the group was in awe of the gorgeous mountainous landscape that surrounded us. Luscious green palms, along with a mix of others provided quite the excitement. We excited the van and were greeted to multiple AJ Hackett signs alerting us to the falling people that were ahead. Finally, out from the trees shot the 168 foot tower, just waiting for 6 adrenaline hungry Americans to place their lives on the line. Literally. Lol
Immediately, they sized us up and provided numbers to give the men at the top of the tower. So, like children on Christmas Day we booked it up the steps and finally stopped in awe when we realized what we were about to do. Heavy dub step music blasted from the top of the towers, and 6 Aussies were screaming and dropping colorful words around the four other girls I was with. Not a nerve in my system was moved as I provided encouragement for the others. They were about to make one of the biggest decisions of their lives, and I was seriously so proud of each of them for their bravery. One by one, they smiled for the camera, and dropped. I would race to the bar to see their flight and my stomach would drop right with them.
When my name was called, I was calm and relaxed and made my way to the box where they would tie me up. I had my waist harness on, and I watched as they wrapped a towel around my ankles and proceeded to tie a rope around the towel. Simple instructions were given to me. I was to waddle out to the end of the platform, smile at the video camera and attempt to perform a gnarly swan dive.
As time began to slow down, i hopped down from the box And scooted across the warm wood plank. My feet gradually inched until I reached the edge, hanging all 10 toes towards death. I smiled, andrebaline beginning to force it's way through my veins and I heard the count down; 5...4...3..2.1.
I leaped, attempting the best dive I could. Arms open, back arched preparing to hit the cool green waters at the end of the 164 foot drop. I attempted to scream, but my voice was robbed by the the sense of my stomach shooting into my throat. Before I could blink, I had reached the cold water below. My body dunked at least half way, and as I came out, I lost my sense of sound. I could see everyone cheering around me. Cameras flashing, fists pumping, but fear shot through me as I realized I couldn't hear a thing! As I attempted to clear my ears, the water finally drained and the yelling and screaming of my American friends became quite apparent, and an overwhelming sense of relief came about. A boat quickly picked me up, I gave one last smile to the camera, and untied myself. I made my way to my friends and felt really good about crossing something off of my bucket list. If you are an adrenaline junky, I definitely recommend the famous Bungy jump. Trust me :)
We ended the evening with high fives and photos, and were even lucky enough to receive free t-shirts! Wow! Haha Our shuttle drive Matt took us back to Gilligans and was a bit more rowdy then usual. He explained that its a custom for the employes to have a few to drink after work, so our lives were now in the hands with this psycho Aussie who claimed he almost punched Russell Crow after a rugby match! Crazy huh?
We ended up making it home, but along the way I couldn't help but take in the landscape. This luscious green atmosphere was exactly what I pictured Australia to be, and I didn't want to think about my return back to the hostel.
That night we went out to eat, and came back early to prepare for Our Adventure on Easter Morning to the Great Barrier Reef
Each of us woke up quite early as the excitement began settle in. I couldn't help but think about all the pictures and videos I had read about the reef. I lone idea that I would be spending Easter Sunday on it, made it that much more special. As I waited for my friends on the balcony, I watched the sun begin to wash the mountain tops with golden rays of light. The little town was waking up, and those that stayed out late were making their way back to the hostels to recover. I walked back into my room where I reached into my bag and sank my teeth into a delicious hot cross bun. I can honestly say I've never had one until coming to Australia, and they are quite delicious. Especially the chocolate chip kind!
After everyone was ready we grabbed our bags and made our way to the wharf to register for our tour. The wharf was quite busy, but our tour was still on and as we spoke with the representative for the tour they gave us yet another contract to sign which clearly explained we were responsible for our own lives. Of course I signed away, and boarded the ship with little anxiety.
The ship was medium sized with two decks. The front of the boat honed a sun deck for the babes to tan, while the back of the boat provided a place for our snorkel equipment. The inside of the boat was quite spacious, lined with multiple tables and seats and right away my group found themselves resting their weary heads on the cool wooden platforms. Videos were playing on televisions strategically placed around the room. Although they were educational. Some of them were quite awkward and I couldn't quite figure out why it was necessary to show a looping clip of coral and other sea creatures spawning? We were greeted and sized right away for flippers and I was given the safety number 17, as a way to provide a roll call for the staff.
I quickly made my way inside the boat, and found my friends
who so happened to sit by these really cute girls who happened to be from
Connecticut. I thought one of them would be my future wife. BUT, I quickly got
my mind off of that idea, and began to get so excited as the rumble of the boat
could be felt beneath my seat and I could feel the waves crashing gently
against the side of the boat as we began to move. Within a few moments the
captain spoke, and that was pretty neat! He gave us insight of what to expect,
and also gave the usual speech on how it’s good to wear a wetsuit just in case
of a jelly fish attack! So I purchased my wetsuit, as all of my friends did,
and I humbly made my way outside on the top deck.
The warm sun crept through my
clothes as I watched in awe the sight as we left the dock in Cairns. To my left
were luscious green mountains, and to my right there was nothing but crystal
blue waters, and I was spending my Easter getting ready to have such a good
time! Well, after about an hour of cruising, we began to slow down as we
reached a few buoys in the middle of the deep blue waters. I could see where
waves were crashing over the reef, and at some points the coral was peaking
through the top of the water waiting for me to come explore. Quickly everyone
began to hustle out of their seats as they grabbed their snorkeling equipment
and made their way to the stairway into the water. My friends and I grabbed our
goods, and zipped up our suits, and got some quick pictures before moving forth
through our excursion into the open blue sea.
As I sat down on the steps above the water, I was amazed by
how crystal clear the ocean was. I could easily see 50 feet down, which was
unlike anything I have ever experienced before. The scuba divers were already
making their trek to the bottom, and some of the Asians who couldn’t swim made
sure the captain had provided them with noodles lol I laughed a little as I
begin to put on my mask and attempt to place the snorkel in my mouth. I allowed
for the water to reach my body before I sank in. to give you a good idea of
what I felt, I want you to picture
yourself slowly sliding into a warm bath tub after a long day at work or
school. Now imagine hundreds of thousands of colorful fish guiding themselves
through your arms and legs as they are just as curious as you are to see what
is going on in their home. Picture the coral you have seen in books and
magazines of the Great Barrier Reef, and that is exactly what I experienced.
I felt like I was in the largest bath tub in the world, and
once you experience it, you never want to let that go. The fish were amazing!
Some were big, some were little, some were long, and some were short. Some were
fat, and some were skinny, and some were gorgeous, and others were pretty ugly.
The coral was super cool too. So many different kinds! At one point, I thought
I saw a collection of deer antlers! Its crazy what the ocean holds, I wish I
could explore it more and more every day!
Everyone is worried about Sharks when they enter the Reef. The
little kids all ask if they are going to get eaten, and the answer that the
Captain gives, is that you probably won’t see any do don’t worry. Well, that dumbass
was wrong. Haha After a few hours of exploring everything I could see, I began
to make my way away from the rest of my group and the ship. I saw everything
from sea cucumbers, to Gil fish from Nemo, to the deer antler to some starfish!
But as I was swimming through open waters, my heart almost stopped when a 6
foot shark slowly crept up behind me. I quickly realized that this shark wasn’t
interested in me, so I took some big gulps of air and quickly attempted to swim
behind it. The shark wasn’t very fat or hungry, but just looked curious to see
what was going on. I followed him for about 50 feet, but lost him as he
made his way through some coral. I was
so excited after this experience that I quickly made my way to the boat, and
before I knew it, it was time to come home!
We got our pictures developed quickly on the boat, and by
the time it was dinner time, we had already made it back to the marina so we
could enjoy the rest of our day and prepare for the Rainforest!!!
Now, I will post on the rainforest adventure as soon as I
can, but everyone should know that I am doing well. It is currently April 14th,
and I have been having such an amazing time here in Australia. I’ve done things
that I’ve never imagined I would do, so it’s been a really good experience. I
have a ton of stories, from Hanging out with Kelly Slater, to chilling with
Homeless people, and climbing to the top of Sydney Tower! I wish I had time to
tell more about what I’ve done on my blog, and I apologize for not posting in a
while. Pictures will come up, and I will have to steal people’s memory cards
because they have really good pictures too!
For those that are wondering, I will be home June 9th
most likely. That is coming up so much quicker than I anticipated, but I am
looking forward to everything else there is to see and do. As I mentioned
before follow me on Instagram where you can see some of my pictures! I will
finish part two of Cairns as soon as I can. But just send some prayers my way
too as this semester begins to pick up with my work load and all.
If you would like to write to me. Do it!
Mike Bruce
Wesley Institute- ASC PO BOX 534
Drummoyne, NSW
1470 Australia
It takes two stamps! haha
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