Joy Ride

The Island of the Gods had a way of making me feel like a goddess and it’s not just the poolside mojitos. For me, it was swinging over a rice terrace in a beautiful red dress on a bright, sunny day.

On an outing in Bali, I got to go for a joy ride in a giant swing overlooking the beautiful Bali countryside. I was taking part in a service in which you are given a long, flowing dress and have people take pictures of you as you swing over a rice terrace. 

It was a gorgeous sunny day, perfect giant swing weather. The people who ran the service provided me with a beautiful red dress and helped me into the swing. 

As I got situated into my harness, about to take flight, it felt like I was going to be slingshotted across the rice terrace. Despite being harnessed in pretty tight, I still got a stomach flip right before they let go and sent me flying. I screamed at the top of my lungs pretty casually when they first let go of me, but if anyone asks, I swung at a death defying height and flew through the air with the greatest of ease. 

Once I got over how panic-inducing it was, it was actually very fun. I relaxed into the swing and took in the view. I was trying to listen to their instructions as they told me to hold onto my dress, then let go of my dress, while swinging. A breeze blew through my legs and bare feet, cooling me down on a hot day, as the dress flapped around me.

This is the shape my adventure travel has taken so far. I’m enjoying the ride. 

The Tragic Queen,

Raquel