Up, Up, and Away
For anyone that knows me, they know that I do not do well with heights. This is especially true when I can see out and see how high up I am. When I told people I was planning on going on a hot air balloon ride, they were very surprised. I think I even surprised myself. When my husband and I were still dating, just before we got engaged, I learned that he wanted to try and take me up on a hot air balloon to propose. He later told me, after he proposed, that he was going to give me a choice. If I decided to go up on the hot air balloon, then he would propose. It would be up to me. Luckily for me, he ended up not going that route and he proposed to me during a picnic we went on. It was perfect being just the two of us. Six years later, I had planned a trip for just the two of us to go on a hot air balloon. I was ready to face my fears with him by my side.
I have to admit, it was a gorgeous view and extremely peaceful. It truly was an amazing experience! The pilot was very friendly and was a fun person to be up in a basket with. It really made it special being up in the air with my husband. We will be celebrating five years of marriage together soon and have been able to share so many adventures together. I have been blessed that he has been willing to share all the adventures I have chosen to take during these last six months before I turn thirty.
I would recommend this experience to anyone. It was very interesting to find out that even some of the pilots are not too fond of heights, but still go up all of the time. The balloon we flew in was called the Tequila Sunrise.
We learned some fun traditions that most balloonists do. One is doing a champagne toast after landing. It is said that early French aeronauts carried champagne to appease angry or frightened spectators at the landing site. The first hot air balloon was flown in 1783 by a couple French men, Francois Pilatre de Rozier and Francois Laurent, Marquis of Arlanders. They were in the first human flight that occurred in Paris, France. Another tradition that they do after landing is recite the “Balloonists Prayer” which goes like this:
“The Winds have Welcomed you with softness.
The Sun has blessed you with its warm hands.
You have flown so high and so well
That God has joined you in your laughter
And set you gently back again
Into the loving arms of Mother Earth.”
As a momento, we received two champagne flutes with this prayer. It will be a special memory that we will be able to keep forever.