So says the slogan of Skydive XDream in Interlaken, Switzerland:

When the urge is bigger than the fear...just jump!

I finally got to check off that box on the bucket list this past weekend. It was an unbelievable experience that went by way too quickly. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I have had no other feeling like that of standing on the runner outside a helicopter soaring over the Alps at 12,000 ft. in the air! I wasn't even able to hold onto the sides of the heli while I was out there, just my harness, and I had to trust that Howie, my tandem master, really was attached to me and would stay that way once he pushed me out and we plummeted back to earth. We rushed past snow and ice covered moutaintops and soared directly over a glacier waterfall so close that I could almost touch it. More pics and video to come! But of course, these could never do the true beauty of Switzerland justice.

But really, I love that quote. There are so many things in life that you can apply it to. Why live with regrets!? Do you feel that desire, urge, tugging to do something that may seem a little crazy or scary? Are you worried, doubtful, scared that it might take you out of your comfort zone? Just jump!

As I mentioned before, I was able to spend a long weekend traveling with my parents and friends to Switzerland. Aside from skydiving, we also were able to explore the really cool towns of Interlaken and Lucerne. I love those places. The architecture is like none other...pure Swiss. There are garderns everywhere you look. It's pristine. The Swiss people are nothing if not clean, organized, and systematic. But you have to pay for it. I can think of very few places I've visited that were more expensive. There's great shopping, but I couldn't afford to buy anything. I was thrilled in Lucerne to find a Starbucks, however promptly depressed to discover my Vanilla Latte cost about $7. Aside from this, it was a great experience. We toured the towns, took a boat cruise up and down the lake of Lucerne to various other towns, and we ate a lot! Swiss cheese fondue, chocolate, bavarian food, etc. It is really a great place to be...even the train rides to and from were full of breathtaking surroundings.

The best part: the weather. For the past few weeks here in Italy (and apparently also in Switzerland) it has been randomly rainy, overcast, and windy. It was even raining while I traveled on the trains on Friday. But Saturday morning I woke up to find it was the most beautiful day they have seen yet. All of the skydiving team kept telling me how lucky I was and that they couldn't believe it. All day Saturday and Sunday were perfect. Then, when I arrived back in Italy, it started raining again. Haha, I love God's little gifts to me! I knew He wanted me to be able to go skydiving. :)