THE LEAP OF MY LIFE

A leap into the river that helped me find depth in my character and the heights of my courage.

After the stay of one great enjoyable and unforgettable year in Australia, I moved to Malaysia. This is where I met the second person in the list �" Raj. Raj is the younger son of the lovely landlord and landlady in whose place I stay. He is an avid traveler and a person with a very open mind. Whenever we met, he spoke about his travelling experiences. Gab used to do the same. I was astonished by their experiences. Although I was amazed and enthralled by what I heard, I still was not ready to take the risk of leaving my comfort zone �" my room and my books.

After a while, Raj informed me about the trip he was arranging for his colleagues. The trip was to Sedim in Penang, Malaysia. I decided to join him and later found that it was one of the best decisions I made in my life.

We left to Sedim in the middle of the night. We were supposed to do white-water rafting and rock climbing there. All my apprehensions were blown away once we entered the forest and started indulging in all the activities. I could find myself enjoying the outdoors. It was a great place and the companions were absolutely fantastic.

During the course of activities, some people were having fun by jumping into the river from a small bridge. I too wanted to jump. But, my inability to swim and the fear of drowning was stopping me from doing it. At that moment, I decided to do something, which I find hard to believe even now. I just ran in and jumped into the river. I hit the cold water and thought I was going to float. I didn’t float and started drowning. Some friends threw a rope at me and dragged me to the shore. Only after I was pulled out of the water, I realized what I had done.

That jump was the bravest and the most stupid thing I have ever done in my life. A brave thing to do because, I overcame my fear to venture into the unknown. A stupid thing to do because, I jumped without preparing myself or without understanding my limitations. I wanted to do it again. This time, I changed strategy. I went back and jumped again. I did not drown this time around because I WAS WEARING A LIFE JACKET. Not only was I ready to take the risk, I was also prepared for any eventuality.

These are small incidents, which prepare you for bigger things in life. Such things seem to improve your confidence and the sense of security. I knew that I was ready to face the world on my own.

That one small jump proved to be the biggest leap in my life.