I’d say I have a pretty healthy fear of heights. Not enough that heights are the "Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?!" of my Indiana Jones story but enough that the Third Eye Blind lyric “I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend” still resonates with me. I think my fear of heights has more to do with lack of control than it does with being high up or being afraid to fall. It’s the idea that if gravity really wanted to, it could take me away and there wouldn’t be anything I could do about it. That being said, I willingly chose to fly 800 ft in the air this past Saturday. I put all my faith in a bright red parachute and very long rope. In between the recurring thought of “This is definitely what Troy Bolton was thinking of when he said, 'We’re soaring, flying. There’s not a star in heaven that we can’t reach'" I had a few epiphanies. Whether these epiphanies were a result of thinner air or exhaustion (I had to get up at like 7:00am to go parasailing and I am NOT a morning person), they’ve stuck with me. I, being the seasoned Parasailer I am today, would like to teach everyone how to reach said epiphanies so maybe you too can leave your parasailing trip feeling a little more enlightened. Here is my guide to reaching enlightenment at 800ft.

1. No matter what they tell you, you should definitely look down. - In every action movie there’s a scene where the hero and his slightly less brave partner have to walk across a shaky bridge or climb to the tiptop of a ridiculously tall building. The first thing the hero always says is “Don’t look down.” That’s probably good advice for someone actively trying to feel invincible but that’s not really my life plan. While on solid ground, the lake was just a few waves forcing their way across a body of water so small you could basically see into the windows of lake houses on the other side. While flying, the lake looked massive and incredible. A new perspective allowed me to take a few minutes to recognize how small I am and what beauty I’m taking for granted.
   
2. Buzz Lightyear was so right. - Along with the High School Musical lyrics pulsing through my brain I keep thinking of my favorite space themed animated character, Buzz Lightyear. He has a very famous line, “Flying is just falling with style” and let me tell you, he was totally right. The differences between flying and falling was sewed into the stitches of a bright red parachute. There's a fine line between flying and falling, just like there's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot, or between recklessness and courage. The question is: are you 100% sure which side you stand on?
3. Don’t be afraid to touch the water. - You’re given the choice to fly in the air the whole time or take a dip in the water. My family and I, being the daring people we are, went for the dip. The weird part about this dip is that you’re in fully normal clothes. Parasailing is a relatively dry experience if you want it to be. You take off from the boat and you land on the boat. There’s never really a time to get soaked, unless, like us, you take the dip. Though I originally fought against it, the dip was well worth it. Do things that scare you. Get out of your comfort zone. Touch the water, even if it means sitting in wet jean shorts on the ride home.
4. Leave your lenses behind. - I recently bought a GoPro in the hopes of it inspiring me to live a life worth filming. However, when I arrived to the lake, my GoPro was dead. As devastating as this was, it meant that I didn’t have anything to focus on but flying. Instead of worrying whether my pictures were coming out right I got to think about life, which ultimately led to this article, and what it really felt like to be 800 feet away from solid ground (also, like a said, I thought a lot about HSM). Having a dead GoPro reminded me that some moments are just for you. Not to be shared. Just for you to experience with your own eyes... unless you're gonna write about it.