I’m flying!
This weekend we went to Ibaraki to try paragliding with the Tokyo Gaijins, a group that organizes outdoor activities like skiing and camping.
We did tandem jumping with skilled paragliders, and got to jump off a 300 meter mountain and glide through the air to land in a field at the base of the hill. It was wonderful to be in the sky. I was a bird. I stretched out my arms and felt the wind sliding past me like a current. I yearned to play with the controls.
Tod captured the moment of my stumble and the result.
My takeoff was not so smooth, though. As we ran towards the cliff, I tripped and fell, dragging Kanamoto-sensei and the wing with me. No damage done and we managed to get off the ground on the second try.
One of our party took short videos of everyone flying and she will send them to me for posting. I’ll let you know when they’re online.
Posted by kuri at October 03, 2005 08:19 AMThats such a fundamental desire, the urge to fly… I envy your trip!
Posted by: j-ster on October 3, 2005 11:49 AMwow - that is SOOOOOOOO cool. I wanna play…
Posted by: T on October 4, 2005 07:59 AMWhee! Wings!
Posted by: Jennifer on October 4, 2005 08:29 AMWonderful. Weren’t you scared?
Posted by: Mieko on October 4, 2005 08:47 AMThat’s so cool!
Posted by: Kimura on October 4, 2005 08:52 PMit was great meeting you! i found you by typing in your name and clicking on the 3rd link like tod said. wasn’t flying wonderful? =)
Posted by: jeannie on October 4, 2005 10:13 PMGood to see you’ve joined the homo avian club. It’s great to be up in the sky, looking down on good ol’ Terra and beholding the wonder of it all.
I hope you said hi to any birds that might have flocked by. Bad manners not to. ;-)
The blueness of the sky can be an incredible and humbling sight.
- a somewhat curious ex-bf from the past
