Queenstown - Day 1

Prepare yourselves for heaps of journalistic, long posts of pictures! I have returned from possibly the best vacation EVER, and I just want to rub it in your faces. Just jokes (kiwi vernacular, eh?).

I was gone for nearly ten days (three of which were traveling days) so you will be getting seven posts, one a day! And I'll be honest, I will most likely be typing directly from my journal, because I wrote the details there already!

The first five days of my blissful holiday are in Queenstown, NZ (the Adventure Capital of the World) and the last few were in Christchurch (The Garden City).

February 4,2010

Today. has. been. the. most. epic. day. of. my. life. thus. far.

Ok, let me give you the play-by-play. I woke up at 7:45am, after sleeping pretty well in my top bunk of this little hostel in Queenstown. After quickly getting ready and eating some free toast, we packed ourselves in our two vans and set our for the day. We went to Arrowtown, an old, gold-mining village with little, tiny Chinese huts. We walked around to an old cemetery and war memorial, and then found the cutest shops!

Me, Amanda, Daren, Lauren, and Megan packed into van #2.

Ashley and I, on the lookout.

Snow White (me) and all the woodland creatures.

Jayna, Ashley, and I trying to fit. We are tall.

Then, THEN, we drove to Kawarau to AJ Hackett Bungy Jumping, where the first bungy was ever performed. And I paid $116 to put my life in strangers' hands. I was dizzy and terrified and tried to talk myself out of it a few times, but all of a sudden I was introducing myself as a Texan to a man who was wrapping my ankles with a towel and tying me to a huge bungy cord.

He said, "Alright, stand on up and hop over to the ledge." My mind raced; my heart pounded in my chest. Was I really about to do this? Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down, just breathe.

"Are you ready?" "No." "On the count of three, dive. 3, 2...." I didn't hear the "1." I just jumped. For the first split second I freaked. Did I just jump without thinking? I'm IN THE AIR (I know, I was having deep thoughts)! When I finally realized it, I was free. I have never had such a rush. People were screaming, but to me the earth was silent and I was flying. I wondered when it would stop, but I didn't want it to. I dunked into the river to my waist, and I was right back out a second later, swinging up for a second thrill. I flew again. I screamed and found my senses. Finally, two boys on a boat beckoned me and told me to grab the pole. They lowered me and I said "THAT IS THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE!" I was dizzy and my head was throbbing, but it was such a rush. I exclaimed these emotions and the guy said "If it lasts too long, you might wanna see a doctor. It usually lasts 3 or 4 days," and then laughed at me, hahaha. Wow, WOW.

I, Breanna Jennet Stutz, bungeed today. I jumped 141 feet off a bridge. And I got a t-shirt and a video to prove it. I have never felt so alive and real! It was an out of body experience, it was as if the world stopped and all I could feel was the wind on my face. I still can't believe it!

Introducing Jayna, and her voice, to my blog. Jayna, Mekelle, and Ashley were way good at taking videos the whole trip. I just had my Nikon with me, so please accept these videos from my beautiful "blondes."

We came back, grabbed some fish'n'chips, and half an hour later we were on our way to the shotover jet. We rode on a bus along the side of a VERY steep, beautiful mountain. It was scary. The jetboat was fantastic (not to mention our boat driver was cute... yes my journal actually says that, sadly he did not make it into the picture). We came so close to the sides of the cliff and did some 360s.

After we got back, I went to the grocery store, got some subway, hung around the hostel, and now it is 11:39 and I am back on my little top bunk. Told you, today was amazing. I have no words to truly describe it. I BUNGEE JUMPED IN NEW ZEALAND TODAY! I love my life. Love love love love love. My life.