Jo's last words------"Ah, holy poo"----------

That was about the only thing that was going through my mind all day and was the last thing that came out of my mouth (only a little more harsh) as I walked and inched my toes out over the ledge and made the leap. The ride out to the jump pod on the cable car made me sick as anything to my stomach, just looking down into the gorge was incredibly overwhelming. Watching 19 people throw themselves off the pod before me, I would have thought would be excrutiating. I was the lightest out of the 20 jumpers, so therefore I was the VERY last one to go. One by one, these people plunged to their deaths. Out in the pod, the music was blarring to get people pumped I am assuming, but in my mind, all I thought was again, holy poo, how are the crew members able to concentrate on their job of securing us to ensure that are lives are spared with all of the ruccous going on. The pod was packed with people and people were all over the place. There was no time to think or ask questions at all. I had my whole speech planned to the crew about the security measures and to double check everything as they strapped the harness to me and to explain how everything works, but no, I didnt even have time to ask initial questions. And when I tried to yell my questions anyways, they couldn't hear me because the music was too loud. It was like trust us or you don't. I was getting hooked up to the bungy as Melissa took the plunge. Well I just looked behind me at her and the vomit surfaced, all I could do was look at Eddie, laugh, and blow a final kiss. I had to hobble out to the plank, b/c my feet were bound together. There was no time to turn around even and say "No freakin way"...from the crew, it was "Get your toes out over the edge". "Farther....farther, 3...2...1... good riddance". It only crossed my mind for 0.00001 seconds that I wouldn't do it, but then I jumped, no hesitation, went on the first go. I dove head first, I tried not to be a screamer, and I went long without screaming, all the way from when I bent my knees to when I was laying out flat like a pancake ontop of the wind. Then after 0000.5 seconds, the wailing prevailed. I screamed like a banschee all the way to the bottom. It was the most surreal thing to ever happen, way way way more intense than I had imagined, but I suppose there are no other experiences in life that would get you ready for that. I had thought that the whole way down I would be just praying and waiting for the bungy to kick in and rebound, but it didn't cross my mind once as I fell 440 feet. My screams weren't even like "Oh lord , I'm going to die", they were more like "I can't believe this is happening". I had NO control over any body parts or functions. When they took the harness off later, I actuaally felt my jeans all over to make sure I hadn't peed, because I wouldn't have known at the time. It was just an experience that I can't even re-live in my mind now. Minutes after we finished, Melissa and me were trying to explain it to each other and go through it again in our minds, but we both couldn't. It is such an unnatural thing that it only existed in the moment, all I remember is that it was the craziest thing I will ever do (besides marry Eddie....:o)) joke....

We both bought the DVD of our jumps so you will all get to see it.

Tonight we are having some drinks for Melissa's birthday, not a good idea I can tell so far after the massive buffet dinner we had, I really over exerted myself at the sundae buffet. We are in our hostel lounge right now talking to American boys (shhh, don't tell anyone, they are despised around here...) but one of the guys went to the Nevis bungy the otherday and got on the plank and chickened out. Baaaackkk...baaackkk....baaackkk.....

Tomorrow it is off to the beautiful Milford Sound. First day of relaxation and pampering in well....7 weeks! Ahhh.

I can't believe that I am still alive.