I awoke to the rising sun. The warm breeze entering from the window left a smile on my face. The light cascaded across the rooms wall, dancing around as the trees gently swayed from outside. I reluctantly stepped out of bed, shuddering as my feet met stone-cold floor. Waking up was the worst part of the day, here in Mallorca. Or so I thought. As soon as I entered the kitchen, I was reminded that today was the day we were scheduled to go cliff-jumping. Obviously many people would be thrilled to have the opportunity to do so, but truthfully, I have always been afraid of heights. I have also been too ashamed to admit this, and so my family was yet to know about my uncanny fear.

 After lounging by the pool and playing cards on the villa’s patio, it was finally time to travel to the cliff. I was baffled by the fact that people found such a life-threatening activity fun. I was without a doubt being dramatic, although, in my defence, I was absolutely terrified. I slowly entered the car, wondering if I could turn back. But as we neared the village in which the cliff was located, it only then dawned upon me that it was definitely too late. I had to face my fears.

The feeling of fulfilment after doing something brave and adventurous, albeit risky, and being able to gloat about it to others in hope of them being impressed, is validating, which is why I first agreed to the proposal. Now, in hindsight, it was a rash decision. This experience has taught me that I simply must use my head more. I only went along with the idea as my younger brother, the golden child, who was also quite the adrenaline-junkie, immediately praised the suggestion, and I, being the older, competitive sibling I am, didn’t want him to be seen as the braver one, especially since he was younger.

My bitter thoughts were cut short as the car came to a stop. We had surprisingly already arrived in the village, and I hadn’t even noticed when the beautiful streets of Pollença morphed into the barren fields of Mallorca’s countryside. We exited the car; the heat of the sun’s rays tingled on my skin, which wasn’t prepared for such warmth. The temperature was insufferable as we walked along the wooded trail which led us to our destination. My stomach churned and I was so nervous I found myself shaking, but I put on a brave face so as to not worry the others. We were hidden from the sun under the canopy of leaves above us, giving our surroundings an eerie feeling as we slowly trekked along the path.

After a few minutes of squabbling with my brother in a desperate attempt to take my mind off of what was yet to come, I saw an opening of light in the distance. I felt sick, knowing this indicated our arrival to the cliff, and each step became heavier and heavier than the last. We placed our belongings down and walked over to the edge. I couldn’t get myself to look down. The rocky ground and my aching feet made this experience all the more unbearable. I was too busy soothing my pain-stricken feet to notice my brother rushing off in the direction of the cliff, and in a heartbeat, he was gone, falling thirty-feet through the air and down into the crystalline ocean. He screamed as he merged with the water, and resurfaced in a fit of laughter. Annoyance rippled through me from noticing his carefree manner. How was he so calm? Next was my sister, then my two older brothers, and finally, it was my turn.

I peeked over the lip of the rock, the hairs on my back standing up, my eyes widening in horror. How was that jump humanly possible? That was much higher than a mere thirty- feet… My vision blurred from the pool of tears streaming down my face, whilst my ears rung from the shouts of my siblings, telling me to jump. I shut my eyes, knowing I couldn’t do it with my eyes open. I knew I was overreacting, it was just a small jump, but from experience, phobias are not something you can just flip a switch on. The simplest of things can make a grown man curl up in a corner. Its funny, actually. The fact that you can simply forget the best days of your life and remember every second of the worst, chilled me to the core. I either had to face my fears, or put up with the mean remarks from my brothers that  awaited me.

And what’s worse than jumping off a thirty-foot cliff as someone who feared heights? Being savagely bullied by your siblings. While these thoughts coursed through my head, I realised it was an obvious choice. All I had to do was jump. I opened my eyes while the bolt of adrenaline was still running through me, and found myself leaping from the ground and jumping through the air, towards the depths below. My body froze in terror and my face was drawn of blood, as in that split second I regretted my decision, before I finally loosened up and composed myself. I shut my eyes, preparing for the salty splash awaiting me. The wind swirled around me while I plummeted towards the deep abyss, the feeling of accomplishment overwhelming me; much like the water as I made contact and plunged in, ripples forming around me on the surface.

Oh, such a momentous experience was over in a second. I slowly opened my eyes, relaxing to the calm sway of the sea. Above the surface was a calm, idyllic environment which you could lay afloat in for hours on end, however, as I sank beneath the water, I was shocked by the scenery. The faint hues of majestic greens and blues of the surrounding atmosphere, the thriving aquatic life roaming the ocean bed, and the vibrant corals accommodating these unique creatures, formed a kingdom of beauty like no other. I felt like the luckiest person alive, as this sight was otherworldly. The fact was, had I let my fear overcome me, I wouldn’t have gotten to see this, which infuriated me. I was mad at myself for having such a potentially self-defeating fear, yet indescribably proud for conquering it.

 The furious waves slammed against the cliff-face as I resurfaced, hearing the applause and laughter erupting from my siblings. I sighed in relief, thankful they hadn’t seen the fear in my eyes. I swam over and joined them, and spent the rest of the day carrying-on and doing a series of splash-fights until the sun set, indicating it was time to go. I had a smile plastered on my face all night, marvelling at the fact that I had just conquered the one thing that brought me down most. I felt indestructible, like I could do anything I wanted, however great it was. This story may be underwhelming, but for me, this was a huge milestone in my life and changed me for the better. My phobia comes back from time to time, but when it does, I remember this. So, I was wrong. That was the best day of my life.