I’m an Experienced Adventure Traveler and My First Hot Air Balloon Ride Took My Breath Away

There’s a saying that when you take a trip, you’re either a vacationer or a traveler. (The former is someone seeking relaxation and the latter is someone driven by curiosity and adventure.) While I sometimes find myself drawn to the relaxing allure of being a vacationer, my soul craves excitement and I’m always searching for my next adrenaline-pumping experience. 

Recently, I took a hot air balloon ride over the Arizona desert and it was an alluring experience — and unlike anything else I’ve experienced. 

First and foremost: I’m no stranger to active travel. My thirst for adventure led me to an adventure park in Mexico, where I took a life-risking leap off a glass-bottomed gondola towards a dirt field, possibly home to snakes, lizards, and other unknown creatures. The thrill of free-falling, and then bouncing up and down in the air a few times before dangling 300 feet above the ground was not for the weak. I also took on a scuba doo experience in the Dominican Republic, gliding across the ocean surface on an electric scooter with a 180-degree water-free clear dome on top of my head and shoulders allowing me to encounter marine life and sea orchids without a typical oxygen tank mouthpiece or diving mask. 

And yet, a hot air balloon ride left a lasting impact. While some might not see this as intense and heart-racing as my other experiences, rest assured it’s one that still delivers the surreal sensation of floating thousands of feet above Earth. Unlike helicopters or planes, there are no noisy engines or enclosed cabins — just the raw and exhilarating feeling of floating in the fresh open air with the occasional sounds of flames bursting in your ear as the pilot activates the burner.

My ride took place at sunrise, which meant I had to wake up at 3 am. The wakeup call was a challenge within itself, but the reward was my pilot taking the group up to 8,500 feet in the air where we witnessed the sky full of vibrant colors as the sun crept over the horizon. As we ascended the butterflies in my stomach started to flutter wildly as the rush of anticipation built every time we floated higher and higher. Still, the awe-inspiring views quickly calmed me and my nerves as I took in the 360-degree view of Arizona’s endless desert landscape along with the extra hot air balloon groups that went up with us and added to the Arizona backdrop. 

Overall, this experience proved to be just as adrenaline-driven as the depths of the ocean or rugged landscapes of Mexico. The views, heights, and the task of defying gravity collectively took my breath away and has me inspired to seek out my next big adventure.