The building off which I plummeted 108 stories

As you know, many of the posts I write on this site are about crossing items off my “Life To Do List.” Commonly known as a bucket list, this fun motivating device is something I use to inspire myself, remind me to go after my dreams, and challenge myself to make things happen that seem unattainable.

#61 on that list was “Go Skydiving/Bungee Jumping.” Today, I can cross that item off the list because I jumped off a hotel last night. You read that correctly… I purposefully plummeted myself down an extremely long drop for the thrill of it.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I do know that I did NOT expect to be as nervous as I was. The anticipation on the way to that tall tower was borderline overwhelming. Alas, I had tweeted it, facebooked it, and already put it on the life to do list… so chickening out was definitely not an option.

Here’s a video I made about the experience:

The good news… I’m alive! I live to tell! Grand scheme of things, it was an amazing experience. To be standing atop the tower overlooking the Las Vegas strip is something worth the $7 elevator ride in itself. If you sign up for “Sky Jump,” however, you can do what I did and take a leap of faith that a wire and a group of talented stunt staff will get you to the bottom alive.

Las Vegas was an ideal backdrop for the entire experience because even though I jumped at close to 9pm, the weather was sublime. It was an extremely clear night so the views were spectacular. The fact that a DVD and a couple photos comes standard with the package makes the entire thing a pretty sweet deal.

Comparatively speaking, I’ve gone paragliding off the Himalayas which took a lot longer and definitely got me air-sick. This short sweet flight down 108 stories was a thrilling adventure and a welcome removal from the list.

Average Cost: $99-$125

NOT RECOMMENDED if you have any fear of heights. Even a little bit.

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The gig is simply amazing. A six month contract to travel around North America capturing film, photography, and travel reviews about what it’s like to be a Gay Traveler in each location I visit. This would obviously be an amazing fit for me as I’ve been unofficially doing this work for years now! What a ridiculous dream it would be if someone actually paid me to do it!

The amazing news is, I’m a finalist! Gaytravel.com chose 8 individuals (4 women and 4 men) to compete in the final leg of the race, if you will. Accordingly, they will be flying us all to Las Vegas at the end of this month to film, photograph and blog and show them what we can do!

I am really excited about this opportunity and am definitely spending a ton of time and energy setting up the trip before I get there. All of my years working at GLAAD, traveling, filming, and understanding how produce will be put to use. I can’t wait!

Check back here on www.journeywithjanelle.com between August 29-September 1st to get updates on the competition and news about whether or not I win. Wish me luck!

UPDATE: I did not get crowned the Gay Travel Guru, but my dear friend and incredibly talented colleague, Nick Vivion claimed the well-deserved crown. He’ll be galavanting about North America for the next six month and you should check out www.gaytravel.com to follow his travels.

I am excited to also announce that I AM working with the fantastic company behind the competition on some other exciting projects and feel inspired by the opportunity.

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One of my favorite companies, STA Travel, is holding a competition in their Michigan State University Office where they asked us to create a 30 second commercial about why STA is so great.

The winner gets a travel voucher for a roundtrip ticket any where in the USA! Being that I am a glutton for travel, especially FREE travel, I created the following entry!

Check out the video and feel free to leave comments about this great company!

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