Elisabeth Aloft

You’ll never guess what CJ gave Elisabeth for her 25th birthday back in May.  Here’s a clue:

No, they’re not about to rob a bank or ride cruisers from Seattle to New York on Route 66.

Here’s another clue:

There’s really only one thing that can be, right?

It can only be this!

Can I just say right here and now that there are some things about having adult kids that are not exactly easy?  Like that consent form you used to have to sign every time your kid did so much as go to the zoo?

GONE! 

Now your kids can do stuff like this, and the extent of your input is the airy gasp that comes out of your mouth when you hear the words, “Guess what I’m just about to do?  Run off a cliff!”

Kinda like this:

Elisabeth has always been adventurous, defiant and dramatic enough to do something like this… and make a call like that! 

And you know what?  She’s HOOKED!

This photo was taken just before her life changed:

 

I know – that sounds dramatic.  But apparently there are two types of people when it comes to paragliding: those who come out of it saying, “Cool, that was fun,” and they go on with their lives… and those who come out of it whooping and hollering and insisting that they will never, ever be the same person they were before they ran off the cliff and ohmygod their lives are suddenly defined by paragliding. 

Apparently Elisabeth falls into the latter group.

So this all took place at Tiger Mountain, east of Seattle, and I fully blame the Northwest Paragliding Club for all of it.  They are completely responsible for doing this to my daughter:

Step one is to make sure you’re all geared up.

Then there’s some running involved – as in running down a mountainside (hurts my ankle just thinking about it!)… or off a cliff… or whatever.

Then, it seems you just FLY!  This is CJ, flying right ahead of Elisabeth (Yes, both were with instructors!)

Now if there’s any part of this that’s intriguing to me – and surprisingly enough, MUCH of it is intriguing to me – it’s the part where they say that it’s just like flying is in a dream.  I LOVE dreams where I’m flying!  Especially when I can control my flying… which is what paragliders do.

I must admit, it looks life altering!

I mean, LOOK!

Hey, there’s the landing strip!  No, not the street – the field! 

And there’s the…

…landing!  Kinda.

I have a feeling these two are in for a wonderful, ride together – and if this flight was indicative of anything, it’ll be a thrilling ride that’s full of adventure -- maybe a little hairy at times, yet smooth sailing… and I have a feeling they’ll be laughing pretty much the whole time.