that little girl who blogged ... : BUNGY JUMPIN: CHECK

One morning, I woke up in the body of a 28-year old who was nagging me about seriously ticking off the crazier things in my bucket list and not just settle for “start a blog and have someone actually read it other than the people I demand to …”

I was like, “Whaaaaaaatdaaaaaaaaaaaaa*BLEEEEEEP!”

I tell you, that girl was annoying! I don’t want to friend her! Haha!

Anyway, that got me thinking. Again! – and she might be right. I guess it’s about time to go bigger, brighter and bolder .. because maybe that’s what people do when they become older .. they become .. well, bolder. It’s a now or nevahhhhhh kind of thing coz who knows when the mid-life crisis would strike! Haha :p

But, I didn’t think I was going to suffer mid-life crisis anytime soon, anyway .. coz I’ve always believed I would live forever .. *cricket*cricket .. Vampires who glitter under the sun are for real right?... *cricket*cricket...

Haha! Kidding .. I’m so over that vampire story already. Christian Gray is the standard now people .. or wait, Augustus Waters for PBB-teens feel pwede din ..

Anyway. Back to the more serious stuff I was talking about...

So okay. As you, my 400k (or was it only 40k? or maybe there really is just 1 person reading this? Sigh!) know, I was in Phuket 3 weeks ago.

The sun, the sand, the sea, the food, the company of family and friends, the little adventures we had .. plus the endless cam-whoring and the lousy video taking – these are what comprised my Phuket journey, and although I do feel half-experienced, It was still a great trip!

I don’t need to feel bad at all anyway, because if there was anything to highlight that trip ..

.. The B-U-N-G-Y J-U-M-P!

Ever since I learned that there was such a thing called “bungy jumping”, it instantly became part of my bucket list .. because I am cliché like that! .. and although it seemed like it was part of everyone’s list, only the brave ones succeed! Haha! :p I just knew it was something I wanted to do (together with a lot more heart-stopping, gut-wrenching, jaw-dropping craziness!), so when I had the opportunity to do it in Phuket, it was a no-brainer, I was not leaving the island without doing it!

So it happened on our last day there. After a quick stop to trek with them elephants, and a mini road trip on a hired cab, it was finally time for some adrenaline rush!

I was with my Mama, Gerard (the bratinella sister) and Choko (my favorite brother ever!). Together, we hopped and skipped and tumbled our way into the bungy ring – DOMINGUEZ REPRESENT my friends!

So I was definitely doing it. My brother said No right after he saw the signage and I tried to persuade him with all the yoyos he can get if he did it, but he still said No. Fine. My sister? That girl didn’t need any convincing at all, she was battle-ready! She just needed financial support to push through. And this is the part where I try to un-convince her with “You’re only 15! You wait until your 20-ish para you have something to look forward to. Hello? Bungy Jump sa bucket list? Agad agad? Blahblahblah!” .. Then when she responded with, “Cge, ako nalang magbabayad”, I said, “Oh! .. OK! Lets do thisssss! Im so proud of you” Diba? How much more of a supportive sister can I be? .. Haha! Of course, that did not happen. I was “Lets do this all the way”. I am just amused though at how she can be so daring and totally cool at her age. But then again, I thought, I am her sister so no question about that. Haha. Plus naisip ko din, pag may ate or kuya din siguro ako when I was 15 and wanted to bungy jump eh I could’ve done it already, right? Hehe. So can I get a hooray for being a hard-working and kunsintidor na ate? Hahaha.

And my Mama? I can just imagine how it was for her to watch 2 of her lovely daughters -- the eldest and youngest --risk their lives in front of her, on Mother's day even -- while she takes the videos pa! Haha. Although, this kind of daredevil stunts are not new to her anymore. 4 years ago, my sister asked permission to go on a trip to Hong Kong but then she came home with a video of her jumping off the Macau tower. Haha. Or there was this one time, my dad was testing my sisters' driving skills, with her as the driver and 3 of my other siblings as her passengers, she started the car and not even a minute into it, the next thing they saw was an upside down car and everyone was just watching as 4 of them slowly crawled out of the window .. thankfully with no scratch, no bruise, no broken ribs.

And for enduring all her children's feats alone, I think she is already the bravest of all! ..

THANK YOU FOR THE BRAVE GENE MA! :)

But really, she was seriously contemplating on doing it. I knew she wanted to, she was just concerned that her heart and her health .. and her dress couldn't handle it. And I wouldn't stop her, but she was wearing a dress, soooo.. What's a daughter got to do? Haha! Well, she had to pass, so I just quickly put her on stand by to document the event and cheer for us. Oh mothers! Thank God for them! hehe.

And then came the most awaited part of all awaited parts ...

the view on the way to the top. sooooooo calming! haha

sooooo, CHILL CHILL LANG :P

.. and then everything below starts to look smaller ..

.. the next thing I know .. nah, I really didn't know what happened next. haha

just .. Look MA! I'm flying!? .. and bouncing .. or flying .. no bouncing up again :p

.. and then literally the world turned upside-down and your left hanging like that for a minute or 2 like its nobody's business .. no wonder, the headache! Haha.

GROUP PICTURE! .. and its blurry! -- ya, that's what happens when you make life complicated for
other people by letting them take your photo ..

Ok. Lousy video time! Haha.

Hepppp! Before you even watch the jump video, my pa-deep musings muna. Just because …

Thoughts on my jump? I know, it was not at all the perfect form when I jumped, nonetheless, it was LIBERATING. It was like my guts .. or my whole system went into full reset. It was like freedom and detox all at the same time that even though I came down with a terrible headache, I emerged as a changed woman! naks naman! Gretchen version 2.0! .. or not? watevs! The feeling was priceless!

What I learned from the whole experience? Make sure you have extra stash in your account just in case your sister gives you THAT pa-awa look. Haha. I kid, I kid.. Well, just when I thought I had trust issues, the jump just proved me wrong. When the bungy instructor told me “get ready .. move over to the edge of the lift .. jump” .. I don’t know what I was exactly thinking or if I am just too excited but with no questions asked, I just did what he asked me to and I don't know him . but, after that, the next best thing just happened to me ... So, well, all those cheesy quotes about taking risks, not being afraid to fall, enjoying life, YOLO (haha), believing in yourself and your dreams – all that applies to this.

WIl I do it again? Hell yeah! Again and again and again if I get the chance, until I can, until nakakahiya na, haha! so I if reach my mom’s age wanting to jump again and my future kids will be doing it too, I’ll make sure I’m not wearing a dress. Those children of mine aren’t going to put me on standby! Not me kids, call your dad! Haha.

So there .. THANK YOU again for dropping by and taking time to read this all you 400k readers … or 40k .. or just you ..

LEZGO BUNGY and BE TOTALLY CRAZY!