#46 -Go On a Hot Air Balloon Ride

I hate it when my computer freezes and I had this great entry and it gets erased!!!!

Adventure comes in the form of flying. In a hot air balloon. I was looking through my visitors magazines one night when I noticed that I had that weekend off and it was time for a hot air balloon festival and rides would be available. So I put aside 200.00 (that I had because my loans consolidated and I didn't have to pay them this last month!) and took my roommate over to Warrenton, Virginia for the festival. There is also a flying circus air show in that area that was showing that day. I wasn't as interested in that as I was in seeing the balloons, then they made the announcement that because of the high winds, they might not be putting up the balloons. I was heartbroken. I waited around until 6:00 that night and they made the announcement that some of the pilots decided to give it a try. So I found one named Scott that was putting his up and would take me with him. Like a trooper, I helped to inflate the beautiful yellow and blue balloon. Then climbed in the basket to find myself beign tossed by the wind - it really wanted to pull us up. The next thing I knew they cut loose the lines and we floated up and away. I normally hate to fly - I do it for the sake of getting to where I am going. That queasy feeling I get just before take off is an unpleasant feeling so I always wondered why I would ever want to go on this ride. I am telling you there is nothing like it in the world. You just literally float up and the air is still and yet moving. It was a feeling of serene and calm floating above the trees like a bird, kissing the tops as you swoop down then floating higher until the houses are little specs of dust. I was hesitant to even move in the basket, but after shifting weight a few times, I realized that the basket doesn't move at all. The craziest part of the trip was the landing. Something about watching the ground come up at you is just a little scary. And then wham - crash landing right on the side of the basket (it gave me just a little bit of a rush) but came out with no major damages. And the bittersweet end of the trip - as I was helping to pack up the balloon, I noticed a little label on the side of the bag that said manufactured in Ann Arbor Michigan - just goes to show that no matter where I go, I take a little piece of Michigan with me.