Standing in the Sky free essay sample

I like to think I’m not scared of many things. I was never arachnophobic; I didn’t cower from monsters in the dark. As a child, I hiked up tall mountains in Big Bend National Park and got stuck for an hour on the top of a Ferris wheel over Lake Geneva in Switzerland. However, as adolescence crept up on me with its tidal wave of insecurities and doubt, I started having dreams of falling and developed a fear of heights. I nearly fainted on the second level of the Eiffel Tower when I was twelve and I found myself clutching my stepsister’s hand like it was my only tether to life when we hiked around a tiny canyon in Big Bend. In June 2010, my mother and I took a backpacking trip through Italy, Hungary and Croatia. On our first full day in Florence, we came upon the Campanile bell tower, and my mother insisted that we climb it. We will write a custom essay sample on Standing in the Sky or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I was hesitant to do so; looking up, I only saw the stripes and architectural design that created the optical illusion of an endless tower merging with the sky. She started up the dark, narrow steps first, and I reluctantly followed. Every so often there would be a tiny glassless window in the wall, and I would peer through it, judging how high up we were by how Lilliputian the people below looked. The Campanile is comprised of five levels, and every time I made it to one, I collapsed on the cold stone near a lookout to write a journal entry or catch my breath. With each level, I considered going back down, knowing that however bad that particular level was, the top would be worse. I climbed higher and higher. I could hear church bells in the distance as my knees turned to jelly and I groped at the slippery walls for support. I told myself that if I felt my throat constricting or any lightheadedness, I would ignore it until my newfound drive for finishing the task before me took pr ecedent. When I stepped out onto the narrow wraparound observation deck, I clutched the rail, my eyes closed tightly. I could feel the wind whipping my hair around my head and my cheeks getting rosy from the sunlight. I felt my mother’s hand on my arm, and I opened my eyes. What lay before me was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen. I could see all of Florence in every direction, and countryside beyond. Cautiously I walked around, making an effort to look up instead of down since the ground far below was visible through the floor of the deck. I felt like I was standing in the sky. I wondered how many people had climbed those same steps, and then how many people with a similar phobia had made it to the top. 414 steps, 288 feet, five levels, seven bells, and I had climbed it on my own. Looking out over the whole city of Florence and drinking in the beauty sent waves of gratitude and a sense of accomplishment flowing through me. It proved that if I set my mind t o it, I can defeat even my greatest fears.