Ever since I saw my dad go up in a Dolmio shaped balloon for a birthday trip many moons ago when living in Belgium, I've thought that I should give it a whirl which was why it went on my list. The Pixar movie 'Up' only made me want to do it more! I'll be honest and say it was one that I put on the list at the time thinking that surely I wouldn't be single for too long and it would be something that a new man would arrange for me in a romantic setting, but life doesn't work that way. Instead this trip came about when a kind friend sent through a Wowcher advertising email that had a deal for a Kent-based balloon company with a note to say give it a go.
As those of you who have booked a balloon flight will know, it is very much weather dependent so in a country like the UK where the weather changes hourly I knew that it might take a few attempts to get up there. Lo and behold though I was quite lucky and only had to re-book once. On Tuesday afternoon, after playing an integral role in the set up of the balloon (ballast for the basket), I went up up and away in a balloon with my good friends Abby & Mark into the skies of the Garden of England (Kent). No cute boy scout kid like in the movie 'Up' but good company from 9 others also enjoying the experience for the first time. Basking in the glorious sunshine, we sailed up to about 3,000 ft (about 1,000m for my fellow metric friends) and then back down again on a very smooth landing. A massive thank you to Abby and Mark for sharing the experience with me - will be very sad when you return to the other side of the Atlantic!
I've been rather jammy with my up in the air experiences on this list - skydive weather was amazing last year and now my balloon weather was probably the nicest day we've had in September (so far) so fingers crossed I have the same for the helicopter ride and Grand Canyon experiences that are pending.
Exactly 1 month until my birthday and 7 left to go! Will I do it.....? That damn celebrity one may stump me....and I've still got Africa and the Pacific Islands to get through before I've got there with every country and capital, but over the next 2 weeks I've got plenty of down time to bore my sister with reciting countries and capitals! Bring it on!
As those of you who have booked a balloon flight will know, it is very much weather dependent so in a country like the UK where the weather changes hourly I knew that it might take a few attempts to get up there. Lo and behold though I was quite lucky and only had to re-book once. On Tuesday afternoon, after playing an integral role in the set up of the balloon (ballast for the basket), I went up up and away in a balloon with my good friends Abby & Mark into the skies of the Garden of England (Kent). No cute boy scout kid like in the movie 'Up' but good company from 9 others also enjoying the experience for the first time. Basking in the glorious sunshine, we sailed up to about 3,000 ft (about 1,000m for my fellow metric friends) and then back down again on a very smooth landing. A massive thank you to Abby and Mark for sharing the experience with me - will be very sad when you return to the other side of the Atlantic!I've been rather jammy with my up in the air experiences on this list - skydive weather was amazing last year and now my balloon weather was probably the nicest day we've had in September (so far) so fingers crossed I have the same for the helicopter ride and Grand Canyon experiences that are pending.
Exactly 1 month until my birthday and 7 left to go! Will I do it.....? That damn celebrity one may stump me....and I've still got Africa and the Pacific Islands to get through before I've got there with every country and capital, but over the next 2 weeks I've got plenty of down time to bore my sister with reciting countries and capitals! Bring it on!
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