I got back from Auckland, New Zealand about a week ago, and it was a great trip.

The Stratosphere Casino in Las Vegas is building the next Sky Jump thrill ride, which originated in New Zealand.  There are currently three Sky Jumps in the world, and the one in Vegas will be the fourth, and the highest; 855 ft from the jump platform to the bottom.

Though I'm usually accustomed to living in a work location for at least 4 months, when my new employer offered to send me on a two week, all expenses paid work trip to New Zealand, I accepted.  The training entailed working at about 630ft above the Auckland Skyline, and helping people safely jump off the SkyTower, the highest freestanding structure in the Southern Hemisphere.  To many that I've talked to, that's a bit freighting, to me, it is an almost perfect job to ease back into to Corporate America.

Our team of four, arrived in the morning after a 12 hour overnight flight from L.A..  We are all pretty tired, but we hit the Sky Tower about an hour and a half after arrival.  We all did the Sky Jump first.

Everyone in our crew has a different background, but the looks on our faces weren't much different when our turn came and we looked over the edge.  Walking out from the glass enclosure is the toughest part.  Thinking about it.  When the restraint is clipped to your back, and you start pacing out toward the edge, there is a particular feeling that arises, that goes along with a thought that is something like, "uh oh, this is it . . . "

At the edge, they clip in some extra stuff to your harness, and you hear, "Restraint clear!"  All of a sudden, you don't feel so restrained anymore.  Though they are holding you and you are still clipped in, you are free to walk to the edge and you don't feel any restraint.  You are directed to grab the vertical posts on either side of you and to lean forward.  It would be an understatement to say that I, and most others, grip those posts tightly.

After a three, two, one, go, countdown, you simply let go of the bars, and plummet at 40mph to the bottom.

Is it fun?  Oh, yeah.