I wish I were less scared of heights than I am. Granted, acrophobia probably kept our predecessors from running over a cliff to escape a saber-tooth tiger, and even today, it has its uses. I will never be killed in a hang-gliding accident. I will never fall off the side of a mountain or die because my parachute won’t open. My fear of heights keeps me from taking unnecessary risks. However, there is one thing I would love to experience, but my crippling fear of high places will never allow me to consider it.
I wish I were less afraid of heights so I could go ballooning during the leaf-peeping season. Every so often, between August and October, I see these majestic teardrops rising from their slumber along the I-91 corridor. I am in awe whenever I see them aloft, their precarious wicker baskets dangling beneath them. Sometimes they are low enough I can hear the woosh of flames rising upward and I’m transfixed as I watch the pilot guide his balloon through the air currents. The view must be spectacular, but if it is, I’ll never know. Although the idea of an aircraft you can’t steer gives me pause, and I’m pretty sure I’d be nervous about landing in the wrong place, my acrophobia keeps me planted on terra firma. There is little in my life that I regret, but when it comes to this fear, I wish I knew a way to overcome it so that I could touch the face of heaven from a hot air balloon.
Jen's Rambling Thoughts... 
I’m not crazy about heights either. I hate glass elevators and have no desire to bungy or plane jump. However, the slow and easy pace of hot-air ballooning intrigues me. If it stayed just above the treeline, I might be able to handle it for a short jaunt.
Well it’s wierd because I went to the top of the funicular in Montreal at the old Olympic Stadium and I’ve been in the CN tower in Toronto. Still, I have to stay away from the glass because looking straight down is awful. But of my two or three phobias, my fear of heights is the only one that keeps me from doing things I’d really like to try. My fear of spiders just means I’ll never have one as a pet;) And my fear of fire just means I’m really super-careful with matches and that I’d be the first one out of town if a wildfire was anywhere near my house.
Jenn! 🙂 I like this. (I’m responding to your finding me on the BlogHer website! 🙂 I’ve signed up, so I will be able to find your future thoughts! 🙂
I grew up hot air ballooning. My father, who looks like Santa and has a lot of hair, is very afraid of heights. He was the pilot. He is afraid of heights. Hot air ballooning is an intriguing sport, however, you should not allow your fear of heights to get in your way. If this is something that you want to do, try it, you can always tell the pilot that in the event that you are completely uncomfortable you will request that he find a place to land ASAP. He should be understanding. Really.
My dad used to take people up in the balloon.. Only once do I remember him talking about someone who was really uncomfortable. He agreed to do what I said (Except he never did..) to ask her if she was OK as the flight went on.. Her boyfriend at the time was asking her to marry him. It really all worked out! Honestly. My dad, with his fear of heights doesn’t like to fly in airplanes, or go into high buildings, especially those like the CN tower, or even the Sears Tower in Chicago. BUT, ballooning isn’t so bad.
I put more photos up today.. maybe they aren’t great, but, if you want to see more of Grenada you can!
That would be awesome to take a hot air balloon ride with Santa!:) You’ve almost got me convinced that I could handle it….almost!