Rapunzel, Rapunzel........

The Auckland Skytower.

So Saturday was forecasted to be clear, until lunchtime at least and we thought it was about time us Cantabs' did the touristy thing. The Skytower was the next thing on our list and the kids were REALLY excited.
I was determined to go up. One, because it seemed important to have it crossed off the list for us as a family but it was certainly a personal achievement for 2010. You see, I am am terrified of heights. I hide it well, easy really, just avoid every possible activity that might take me beyond the height of my own shoulders. The subject of heights and my fear has not even been the topic of conversation between myself and family or friends. I have kept this one to myself.

Anyway, much earlier in the year I did write a post about setting myself goals for 2010. Feeling the fear, and doing it anyway has become one of them. :-)

Phoebe sitting on glass floor

The platform you can choose to walk on if you wish!!! Outside, with a harness on. OMG!!

Fear...........it's a funny thing. Not funny 'ha ha' but funny as in you think you have the fear under wraps and then it jumps out and bites you where it really hurts. I managed to climb the Eiffel Tower years ago at the age of 19 but I was with friends, backpacking and had the 'post tower beer' in mind to keep me going. I braved the tower ...........and I won!

I did the Blackpool Roller Coaster, very reluctantly. which was described to me as the highest and fastest in all of Europe, possibly the world......at that time. This was kindly told to me while I was standing in line about to crawl into the darn thing. But I did it, got the crazy 'eyes closed, hair standing on end' photo to prove it. I fought the coaster.....and I won again.

I have been back on a plane several times, avoiding looking out the window and shoving my nose in a book each time in a desperate act of escapism. I braved the air....and I won once again!

So then we bought a beautiful Villa with 12ft ceilings, with decroative trims that I loved but were stained and in a poor state at the time we purchsed the property. Hubby was travelling quite a bit for his job at the time so I got up the biggest ladder I have ever seen and painted the entire ceiling myself. I braved the ...........etc etc you know how it goes.

Phoebe and Molly were quite taken by the fountains on the bottom floor.

So. I did the Skytower. Couldn't manage the very top level, but Mark and the kids did and they loved it. I didn't walk on the glass floor, but the kids did that also. Even Phoebe eventually convinced herself she wasn't going to fall and sat on the stuff. MAD!!!!!

This little sign I think was intended to provide comfort. But I was still looking around for a paper bag to breathe into as I bent down to read it.

I am amazed that FEAR, which is essentially an emotion generated in our brains can manifest itself in the physical form. I literally freeze on the spot, my lungs need jumper leads to get started again and get this primal urge to run, jump, anything to get away. Frozen yet wanting to dash. The fight or flight instinct possibly???

BUT I DID IT

In my 'glass half full' attitude which I prefer to live life by I can confidently say that I'm pleased that I did. The view was awesome, thank very much Auckland City. (Thank you also to some very clever engineers that got me down in one piece in an extremely efficient and speedy lift).