Jump

Skipping ahead (chronologically) in my Safari 2014 posts, I am just too excited and can't wait any longer to share this post!

Our last few days of travel were spent in Zimbabwe near Victoria Falls. A definite change of pace from all the bush camping + safaris. Victoria Falls was pure adventure, and I decided to embrace it all. So off I went on an adrenaline filled afternoon with a few of my good travel friends!

Jumping. Off. Cliffs. In. Africa.

youthful spontaneity and recklessness at its finest!

We superman-ed our way over a gorge, we ziplined down a cliff face at a 45 degree angle,  slowly working our way up to the big one.. the JUMP of all jumps.

400 feet above the rushing river
all you are wearing is a little harness
oh and the line doesn't catch until 30ft above the water
so you are free falling for most of that distance

#$&!($&(#@*)!

When I envisioned myself doing that jump earlier in the morning, I had every intention of closing my eyes, clutching the rope, and jumping off. But once we got to the gorge the daredevil inside of me had other plans! So before I knew it, I was on my hands, being hoisted into a handstand about to flip off the platform into free fall.

hashtag YOLO, amiright?

shoutout to all my friends who were there and helped me film this! Thanks to all the adrenaline coursing through our veins, it turned out a little shaky, but I love it all the same!

wait a few minutes, for it to load in HD. It's worth it.


and some photos from the day!


look carefully at the line. you are pretty much zooming straight towards the water,on some rusty little carabiners.. but this was by far the least scary one! I even got to see two crocodiles in the water!

see that itty bitty second rope that is knotted to the top of my harness? well that is what is supposed to catch me if the first line breaks.. 

I really wish that we had filmed ourselves more before jumping.. all morning I had butterflies in my stomach, just thinking about it! When it was time to go, we all were freaking out! so nervous, but so excited!

Once I got my harness on I was a nervous ball of energy, I literally could not stop bouncing around as I watched my friends go.

We were the only ones there, which didn't really help me feel any better about the whole safety thing.. but oddly enough, once I launched myself off that first platform I wasn't scared at all! Quite contrary, I had the time of my life!

I would do it again in a heartbeat, no hestitation.

So here is the real question: how am I going to top this? skydiving anyone? I need my adrenaline fix.

The Tribe Goes Tubing

Every year The Tribe goes on a mini-vacation the weekend after Christmas to celebrate my dad's birthday. We pack up the car and drive an hour over the mountains to Heber, Utah. To kick off the weekend celebration we all went snow tubing at Soldier Hollow, a cross country ski resort which hosted events for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake. We have been tubing there for the past four years, but this year was by far the best one yet!

Liam (bro #3) + Me + Maxwell (bro #5 and youngest tribe member) [photo credit: Pelle] 

Twin pic + the ever enthusiastic Brennon (brother #2) 

I got a little bit of air on that jump... plus some seriously windswept hair! [photo credit: Pelle] 


We seriously had such a fun two hours and got in near a dozen runs. The only bummer was that they capped tubing groups at 3 tubes for safety reasons.. But we mayyyy have broken a few rules and run past the staff at the top to form an 8 tube mega group our last run.. ;)

This video is super short (about 45sec) but a fun tubing snippet!
Three of us older siblings formed the most perfectly aerodynamic tubing formation and because of that I found myself flying in the air not once, but twice as I spearheaded our tubes zooming down the mountain. It is just a miracle I didn't completely fall off!


Tribe Tubing from Jessica Oglesby on Vimeo.

You could say that the tribe goes hard.

While most schools are back in session now, I somehow lucked out with two more weeks of break! And I am stoked! So not ready to go back to school yet, I'm having too much fun at home!
Turns out that Utah is quite the winter wonderland!

And There'll be Sun Sun Sun

Chalk from Jessica Oglesby on Vimeo

Welcome to the dog days of summer in Salt Lake City. 
▷ 100 + degrees, every day 
▷ popsicles + shaved ice + ice cream sandwiches + otter pops.. sometimes all in an hour. 
▷ blue skies + green trees + playgrounds + pools 
▷ friends + family 
▷ and of course.. chalk! 

⇡

Plus hanging out in the best backyard with the best view! 

PS the post title was inspired by this song! 
Enjoy and Happy Summer! xoxo

oh and special thanks to Bri + Andre for helping me with the video! 

The Adventures: Year One

My first year at Franklin College is nearly over! I can hardly believe how fast it has gone by. I recently was looking through photos of travels from this last semester and I found a handful of iphone videos. Nothing too high quality but they are fun and I wanted to create something to remember the year with. So here it is! And here's to three more years of adventures! xoxo

Year One from Jessica Oglesby on Vimeo.