Life is all about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Since my girlfriend and I are both teachers, we have the whole summer off and decided to go on our most extravagant vacation yet- cliff jumping. We have been planning this trip since the start of the school year.

We have cliff jumped once before in our home state of California. It was one of the most sunniest days of the year, and the spontaneous trip to Tar Creek Falls in Los Padres National Forest was probably the best decision we could have made that day. This was the moment my girlfriend and I fell in love with cliff jumping. The adrenaline of that day is something I will always feel when I look back at my penless sticker which holds the video of the moment I took the leap of faith off the cliff in Los Padres National Forest.

Over the years, we have saved up the money to travel to three cliff jumping locations that are on the top of my bucket list. The first stop is Kahekili’s Leap in Hawaii. Secondly, we will travel to Red Rocks Park in Vermont. And our final stop will be in Rishikesh, India.The trip will last about a month to make time to tour the different places.

Kahekili’s Leap is in Kaunolu, Lanai, Hawaii. Kahekili’s Leap has a lot of history to its name.  Kahekili was the name of a man who made the first jump off the cliff which stands over 60 feet tall. Legend has it that he did this without making a single splash. His warriors were put to the test to prove their loyalty to Kahekili. They had to jump off this cliff into a shallow 12 feet of water. If they were able to do this, they were seen as loyal and brave. I am hoping to capture my loyalty and bravery on a Penless postcard to send to my dad back home.

Red Rocks Park is located in South Burlington, Vermont. I heard this one can be dangerous due to the narrow rocks that surround the area. Although Jumping off an 80 foot cliff will make for a great Penless postcard, I am nervous for the risk factor that this one has to offer. But what’s an adventure without a little adrenalin rush? Exactly. The park has an array of cliffs to choose from. The cliffs are situated on a lake with panoramic views. The scenery is one of the factors that convinced my girlfriend and I to travel all the way to Vermont. She is most excited to capture the view on a Penless sticker so she can attach it on to a souvenir she wants to buy for the other teachers back in California.

I have never been out of country so going to Rishikesh, India will an experience of a lifetime. I have been planning a trip to India for awhile now to visit an old coworker who moved to India to teach English. The cliffs here are not as high as the others, they only stand about 20-30 feet. Although they are not as thrilling as the others, I am hoping to bring my friend along with me. I am looking forward to sharing this whole experience though Penless so my friends and family can see me jump out of my comfort zone and join me on this adventure.