I put on an orange jumpsuit and the next thing I know I am dangling off the side of a building, 630 feet in the air! My heart is pounding, fear and uncertainty fill my body. Should I really do this? I look over the edge of the minuscule platform and look down at the ant-sized people on the roadway below. Wow, those people are small! I must be out of my mind doing this. I hold onto the rope that is connected to the building so tight, I get blisters. Slowly moving forward, step-by-step, I keep my eyes on the instructor. Suddenly, he says, “You can let go of the rope. I promise you will not fall.” I take a deep breath, in and then out, and let go of the rope. The cold wind blows gently through my hair. The air smells clean and fresh like it was about to rain, but it is a perfectly sunny day. There are very few clouds in the sky, making it very hot. Sweat rolls down my face as I gradually get used to walking and not holding onto the rope. I challenge myself by leaning over the edge of the platform and letting nothing hold me up except my harness and the thin rope that’s connected to the building. Watching everything that is happening hundreds of feet below me, I take a deep breath and smile. I close my eyes, let the cool air blow past me, and I feel like I’m floating in mid-air. I feel free. I put my arms out beside me like I’m flying, and open my eyes. All I can hear is the faint sound of the roaring cars below me and the gentle wind blowing past my ears. I pull myself back onto the platform and continue walking around the edge of the building. The instructor tells me to lean over the edge again, but this time face the building. So I do, and at that moment all of my fears float away. I close my eyes again, but this time I’m laughing. I can’t believe that I am hanging off the side of a building, hundreds of feet in the air. I feel like I am falling this time. I open my eyes and find myself on the platform again. Next thing I know, it’s the end of the platform and I have to go back inside. I reflect on everything that just happened as I make my way down the elevator and back to my parents. My thoughts are scrambling through my mind but then they suddenly come to a halt. I come to a huge realization: I just overcame my biggest fear. I smile and walk out with confidence, never looking back again.