“We will do the 1,000 feet up,” my dad said to the worker checking us in. We had just arrived at the pier where the parasailing stand was. We had previously already signed up for the parasailing but had to choose a height when we got there. 500 feet and 1,000 feet were the options. Of course – my dad always trying to push me to do scary things – chose the 1,000 feet up. My stomach twisted when I started picturing how high up 1,000 feet it was. Three NFL football fields. Thirteen tennis courts. The Eiffel tower. All 1,000 feet and in 30 minutes, I was going to be that high up in the air, connected only by a couple straps and a canopy. 

We finally got on the boat and started the 15 minute boat ride through the channel and into the open water. Three other groups of people were with us. Complete strangers who also wanted to parasail. But only 500 feet. We were the only pair doing 1,000 feet. That did not make me feel much better.

Eventually we got to the spot where we were going to start getting the canopy up in the air. “Who wants to go first?” the guide said. Nobody raised their hand. Ten seconds later, my dad raised his hand. Of course he did. I muttered to myself. He volunteered us. The workers started grabbing harnesses that would fit us and got us all secured. Before I knew it, we were completely harnessed, attached to the canopy and starting our ascent to 1,000 feet in the air.

On our way up, I could tell that my dad was getting a little nervous which I thought was funny because he was the one to make us go up that high because he thought I would be really scared but in reality, it was him. At around half way up, it became very surreal. I wasn’t even focused on how high we were. I became focused on the bright blue water, the sky, the skyline, how little the people on the beach were. There were so many things that I couldn’t even believe I was seeing. A perspective that is unlike anything else. I had never seen water so blue and it was breathtaking. We were hoping to see some sea life, but we didn’t but that did not take away from the beauty that was right in front of us. It was crazy to see things like that. I was in awe. We both had no words.

We finally got to 1,000 feet and me and my dad were silent. Both taking in the views and the experience. Looking around in all directions. We started pointing out things that we were seeing like how crazy the skyline was and how we could see where the Elon Musk space shuttles takes off. We were laughing about how crazy it was. The seven minutes that we were up in the air felt like seven seconds. Seven minutes of watching nature. Seven minutes of seeing the world from a bird's eye view. Seven minutes of an experience that I got to share with my dad that we both will never forget.