Taking Risks

 

“How sweet to be a Cloud
Floating in the Blue
It makes him very proud
To be a little cloud.”
― A.A. Milne, 

There’s this thing you do in Galway that I  have already mentioned about jumping into the freezing cold ocean off this diving tower. It’s called Blackrock Diving Tower in Salthill and it’s about 8 meters high.

Jumping off of this diving board is a must if you study in Galway. Apparently, it’s been a jumping area since 1885 when a springboard was put up. This board was on Col O’hara’s property so he had it taken down. People still used this area for diving and swimming until a near death in 1942. After that, the boards were replaced by the yellow tower that is still up today.

Jumping from this tower is a big deal, I’m cool with that. I was totally down for jumping. That was until it came the day the roommates wanted to jump and I was realizing it was cold and windy and got dark earlier in the day.

So we went!

We ate dinner, changed into our bathing suits, and called a cab to take us to Salt Hill.

On the ride there our cab driver was telling us everything we needed to do to make sure we were safe. This helped cause I was terrified, not for the height but for the coldness of the water.

He told us we needed to go into the water before jumping so our bodies didn’t go into shock when we hit the water. By going into the water beforehand, we would be somewhat prepared when we jumped. If only it were that easy.

When we got to the diving tower there was a good amount of people there which made us feel a little better about ourselves. Knowing that others were doing it helped us calm down because it couldn’t be that unsafe if there was a large group there… right?

While we were hyping ourselves up to just do it, we started talking to a woman that was there with her husband. She told us that she had been scared of the water for a while and today she finally was able to go up to her neck. For her, this was a huge accomplishment. She was facing her fears, stepping out of her comfort zone and taking risks.

This allowed Alex and Allie to feel like they could also take the risk and jump. They weren’t scared, they were ready to feel the adrenaline. So as I hid underneath the shelter Alex and Allie took a risk and jumped into the freezing Atlantic 10 feet below them.

It was then Erin’s and my turn. I wasn’t ready but I knew that if I didn’t do it I would have regretted it. We paid for the cab, might as well jump into the Atlantic.

I was hesitant for sure. Who wouldn’t be a little scared of what waits for you at the end of the jump?

I finally got up the nerve, dipped myself into the water (it was as cold as I expected it to be) and walked down the long platform as waves crashed onto me. I was about to do something that I was terrified to do but I was ready to do it.

This trip is about taking risks, doing things I would never do if I weren’t given this opportunity. I had to jump into the Atlantic, there was no way around it.

We got to the top of the diving platform and decided to go off the higher one ’cause why not?

There were a few other crazy people jumping into the water while we were there. Just about our age, they seemed to be having a great time with not a care in the world. If they were enjoying it there couldn’t be that much to be scared of right?

There was one girl who jumped off the board below us and did a complete belly flop. This isn’t really essential to the story but it was funny and seemed to hurt like hell.

Erin jumped first, of course, and as I watched her fall into the water I was ready to do it myself. It was a bucket list activity and I couldn’t let my future self down.

I was having trouble doing the actual jumping so there was a guy who helped count me down. As he got closer to one I just remember starting to run and all of the sudden I was flying through the air.

I know it doesn’t really look that high but it felt like I was in the air for minutes upon minutes. It was such a thrilling feeling as I floated above the Atlantic ocean. This was something I was going to be a story I would be able to tell so many people for years to come.

As I got closer to the water I tried not to scream but it just came out. Then I hit the water which had forgotten was freezing cold. My body did not appreciate it and I lost my breath. It was a scary moment, unable to catch my breath for about 5 seconds. But I felt alive. I felt like I had conquered something.

I never do a good job getting over fears, doing something I don’t want to do. But if Ireland has taught me anything, it’s to just get over it and give it a try.

So after being in Galway for about three weeks, I jumped into freezing water, and I never felt more alive.

I was ready for my next adventure.