I used to be a daredevil - now I'm dork

I was sorting out all my pics on my mac the other day and came across this pic taken when I was 21 at Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa, where I did the "highest commercially operated bungee jump in the world" - a whole 216m of it.

And that got me thinking about all the other crazy things I have done in my life - most of which were quite disastrous.

In 2002, when I was 22, I took my 1953 red Vespa, named Chippie, and decided to attempt a trip from Cape Town to Villiersdorp to visit my mom (alone I might add). It's a 90 minute car drive, but took me about 3 hours full throttle late at night and I arrived with a freezing blue face and all my other bits frozen solid. The trip back at the end of the weekend was even more fun - I placed a sarong around my shoulders and pretended I was superwoman as I sped down the pass, only to have the tassels catch in my engine - which nearly ended my life. Luckily my brother followed me this time in his car so I had one witness to my stupidity.

That did not stop me. I went absailing in the Knysna forest which was the second coldest experience of my life, no one told me I would have to hike for 4 hours in freezing cold weather to experience a 20 minute absail down an also freezing cold rock-face. Knees bruised and battered, I vowed I would never do it again.

Then came scuba diving - pool sessions were all good, BUT after that we had to get into the freezing Muizenburg ocean in a 6mm wetsuit that makes you feel like an astronaut. I clung onto a piece of seaweed at the bottom of the churning ocean for a full 45 minutes and then vomited.

Last but not least, my cousin decided to marry a UK army officer and we go.......you guessed it - GLIDING. I got flung into the sky by a canon like device and then after 10 minutes of the pilot showing off how many stunts he can do in the aircurrents to the point where my stomach flipped out of my ears - I begged him to please land.

Stunt days are over. Coming down from a 5 hour adrenaline high is way overrated. Now I just take other risks that don't involve bruised knees and cold bits or spattered body parts on a highway.

I do miss my Chippie, but after one too many close shaves (because I was a young hazardous fool on the road)...sadly, I decided I had to grow up and I sold him.