My first bungee jump- What led to it and how it was.

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I was scared of heights and used to be terrified of the Ferris wheel and the roller-coasters in amusement parks. I would go blue in the face, scream like I was having a heart attack and maybe even puke. I had never gotten in a ride on any of those terrors in years, until the last time, a sunny day in 2005. Four of us, including my girlfriend and I, decided to visit an amusement park in my hometown. After we roamed around for sometime checking out the layout of the place, my girlfriend suggested the Ferris wheel. I took a deep breath and said ok. I did not want to seem like a wimp in front of her. The ride left me nauseated, but it was fun. I was not shaken up as badly as I had feared. Next stop was this ride called the 'Mary Columbus' which was essentially a pendulum like ride. I happened to get the seat on the edge and the terror started. I got so violently sick that the operator stopped the ride. My girlfriend was surprised that I was so squeamish. I made up my mind that I would overcome at least some of my fears, like the fear of heights and so said that I was going to do the bungee. My girlfriend initially had a hearty laugh at this, but then when she realized that I meant it, she became concerned. She said that I did not need to do it to prove anything to her. She was genuinely scared for me, having seen the way I got sick on my last ride, but I did not budge. I signed up and paid the fee, a hefty Rs 600/- (about 12 dollars). Before long, I was belted up and corded. I was raised to a height of 140 feet in a telephone booth sized platform, pulled up by a crane. I looked down and thought that I was crazy for having come so far. I thought that I would just ask the crane operator to lower me back, but there was something that kept telling me to go ahead and do it. The instructor told me to go over to the very edge, take a deep breath and let go. As simple as that! But that was not really all that simple you know. Treading cautiously to the edge, I was still holding on to the sides of the cabin for my dear life! I took a couple of deep breaths and held my arms out as instructed and just looked down. The people below looked like ants and the parked cars looked like small boxes. I let go. The wind rushed past me and I was in free fall. After the first sharp intake of air, the beauty of it all began to unfold, and I was shouting out, but not out of fear, but joy and then it happened. The cord stretched and began tugging back and I was now headed up, with my head down and feet up. The sky was a beautiful hue of blue and I seemed to be flying towards the clouds. I really felt that I was flying, that I was one with my Maker. I was headed down again and the rope oscillated me another couple of times, but more gently and weakly before finally coming to rest, with me suspended about twenty feet above the ground. The operator then slowly lowered my to the ground where my waiting girlfriend gave me a bear hug! She was so happy for me. She knew that my fears were now conquered. That has been the happiest day in my life so far.