How to Face Your Fears, Hawaii Style (Part 1 of 2)

We’re coming to the end of our family Hawaiian vacation (darn!)

So I figure it’s time to (gulp) face (some more of) my fears.

Especially seeing as I stared down that big bad mountain rainforest (see /what-a-hawaiian-rainforest-taught-me-about-the-power-of-intention )

I study the guidebooks again and pick 3 of the biggest, baddest, scariest excursions I can find (rated on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being “not that scary” and 10 being “How can I get out of this?”

First, jet skiing (2 -I’ve jet skied before, so not that scary. Of course, I’m going to let Babette drive, which makes it a little more interesting (!) and the kids haven’t done it before, so they’re excited!)

Second, flying on a jet pack (8 – This I’ve definitely not done before and am pretty scared) 🙂

And finally, swimming with sharks (11 – This I basically have no desire to do, but the fearless Babette says she wants to do it. Gee, I wonder who’s going to win that discussion? 

First, we do jet skiing.

Here’s what it looks like jet skiing off Hanauma Bay on the island of Oahu in Hawaii – in the video you can see Koko Crater and Koko Head in the distance —

Then it’s time to don the jet pack.

The guy asks, “Who wants to go first?”

Of course, no one wants to go first – so naturally I volunteer.

(Got to set a good example for the kids. Right.)

We had just watched an instructional video that showed us how smooth and easy it is to fly using a jet pack.

The reality is, it’s anything but easy and definitely not smooth.

You are fighting that jet pack on your back the entire time, because it wants to flip you over backwards.

The entire time, I’m thinking two thoughts…

“Lean forward. Don’t wipe out.”

Well, not only did I not wipe out, I get to fly nearly 25 feet in the air!

Here are some pics of what it looks like to fly with a jet pack in Hawaii…

And here’s a short video of what it looks like from the boat…

And here’s what flying with a jet pack off Hanauma Bay in Hawaii looks like from my point of view…

Tomorrow we’re going swimming with the sharks 3 miles off the coast of Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

I’ll let you know if we make it…

Noah’s Note: Face your fears, because on the other side of fear lies freedom – and sometimes heck of a lot of fun!

I believe in you!