Facing My Fears #3: JUMPING in a FROZEN LAKE - my first STEEMIT-BET !!!
Hello Everybody,
a couple of days ago, I posted about trying to overcome my fears of the COLD by Stepping Into The Snow In An Bikini and trying to face my fear of HIGHTS by Going Ski Jumping. As a response, our dear Steemian (and part-time Canadian-devil) @thedamus gave me a new challenge:
@thedamus
If you're really adventurous, try jumping in a frozen lake afterwards :) !!! How bout 5 x 100% upvotes?
My head, shoulders, feet, fingers and back all rebelled by the simple thought of it. But both Canadians and Germans are proud people. I can't NOT try. I don't want to be remembered as the wimpy German girl, that I am at the moment. This is the story of this day.
It took me a couple of days to pull myself together and collect the strength for this day. I'm really not exaggerating. I am heating up my room to a little Sauna if I can. I'm constantly afraid of getting cold and always carry too many clothes with me - even in a summer in Spain. Maybe this is a damage from freezing all my childhood at bus stops and train stations in the German countryside.
I'm hopping on a bus and I must admit that I'm not very determined at this point: "I'll have a look at it and then we will see." I'm actually already shivering in the bus with all of my clothes on.
So, this is the Finnish version of a SPA. They are all claiming that it's the ultimate way to relax. To me it seems more like torture.
I can't believe you're making me go through this!
I pick up my towel and my bikini and wander slowly into the sauna. I am actually walking slowly, hoping that something will happen that can give me a good excuse to evade this test of courage. Jumping into the snow is already hardcore for me - but when you're supposed to dive into the water - there is No Escape.
I'm alone in the sauna. Nobody around me. I'm wondering where all the people went to that I saw at the lake earlier. Maybe there is a step in between the sauna and the lake that I'm not aware of and I'll get a heart attack once I dive in? But eventually I go outside and here I find the other swimmers - steaming in the cold.
I'm noticing how everybody around me is breathing very calmly, whereas I'm already hyperventilating on the way to the lake. I'm wearing flip flops that sink into the snow and expose my toes to the white hell. I can't see myself ever putting one of my tormented toes into this black hole in the ice.
The old gentlemen calmly walk past me and glide into the water.
How can I describe this sensation: Every single drop of blood disappears from my legs, arms, hands and feet. I'm even forgetting how to swim - I'm incredibly heavy and can't understand how humans could have ever thought that it's a great idea to swim in ice cold water. Also my brain seems to shrink. Then I commit the fatal mistake and dive under water.
My head is twisting and I crawl back up the stairs. But few seconds after being out of the water, something magical happens. I get a true energy rush. My thoughts are crystal clear and I feel extremely powerful. My lungs open up and I have the impression that I just grew 10cm higher.
For the entire day my skin tickles and it feels like a slight cool wind is going over it. But I'm not freezing. Even though I almost got used to it already during my trip in Scandinavia that I'm simply always cold. Today I'm have just a fresh breeze on my skin and feel totally relaxed. How is this possible, @thedamus ?
I would have never had the idea of doing this without @thedamus .
Yours, Elena
WOO HOO!!!
That's ma girl!!! I am so happy you tried this and reaped benefits from doing so -- you will now have a "Polar Bear Swim" story for the rest of your life!!!
:)
I am going to upvote this post with all that i have got NOW, but i'm only at 70%...
So you get an "atta girl" now and i will start the first of 5 x 100% upvotes as soon as my steem power gets back to full power :)
Way to go Elena!!!
Cheers! from @thedamus
[edit:] i resteemed this post on my blog too ;)
Thank you @thedamus ! I'm a polar bear now! But I understand that one can only do this once a year. Or maybe even only once in a life time. ☃️🌨❄️
But you were absolutely right:
It is a sensational feeling
I don't think I would have had the idea to do it if you hadn't brought it up. Probably not 👀 .
I hope we started a new wave of activism here. Face-your-fear-bets !
I guess. Ow it's your turn! What are you afraid off? We should make a bet! :-)
Xx
...afraid of doing my taxes lol. I'll have to think about a realistic challenge. But really pleased with your outcome! I should be back up to 100 % by tomo bout lunch time here in Vancouver.
Haha! If you find an exciting way of documenting the making of your taxes - this would be worth a lot. It needs a genius to accomplish this!
That would be a good challenge, I think. :-)
xx
Here's 2/5 ;)
Thank you, you're a star, @thedamus
3/5 coming in next hour or so... man o man does the recharge go slow when you're waiting for it.
Lol
[edit] 3rd upvote above: 0.41
Dang...
@enhinewitty - haha! BOOM!
Now it's your turn!
x
Ha! There's no frozen lakes around here sweets...I have done that before though. Grew up in Minnesota.
A frozen lake? woooow You are so cool!! Does it hurt or burn your skin at all? Am so jealous!
I don't even use ac at night coz I get really cold at night, and am in the Philippines where the temperature is between 27 to 32C. Never even seen a real snow, ever! when I was a kid I thought, snow's just made up for cartoon movies lol
"For the entire day my skin tickles and it feels like a slight cool wind is going over it. But I'm not freezing. Even though I almost got used to it already during my trip in Scandinavia that I'm simply always cold."
Isn't it weird how our body can adopt to extreme temperatures!
They say there's a physiological behind it. I watched this documentary, a guy who hikes up on a snowy mountain without a shirt. lol
Love the photos, so fun!
You are really adventurous!
Hi @purepinay - yes, your right. all blood retreats from your skin which makes it feel like a burn.
A guy is hiking up mountains without a shirt? WHY? Sometimes I think human kind is going crazy since we covered all our basic needs.
Do you have Christimas stories in the Philippines with Santa Claus coming from a place full of snow or do you have a Philippine Version of the story?
When will you travel to the snowy parts of the planet?
All the best! Do nice to see there are other people around who don't like AC !! :-)
Elena
Hello, Elena!
You know what I found the video of "the guy that hikes up the mountain without a shirt". They call him "Superhuman: Iceman". His real name is Dutchman Wim Hof. This is so hard to believe but if you time, you should watch it. The human body is very smart and it interesting science!
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/superhuman-iceman/
The only Christmas Story I remember is that, Santa and his reindeer's goes all over the world and give gifts. I really thought Santa was real till I was in my first year in High School. =D (*am little bit embarrassed now lol) In the province we only watch movies of the same kind probably more than 20x, like Cinderella, Snow white, & Beauty and the Beast. Then for xmas I only remember watching one movie, "The Grinch" always the same movie every time. lol Thats where I saw the snow. I really thought it was just in movies. lol..
You'll have a great time in the Philippines, of course there are good and bad things in everywhere =) but overall most places that you can visit in the Philippines are very safe to travel.
Am not sure, I think it's just me who don't like ac, I never really like cold temperature. I like the perfect temp somewhere about 70-80 degrees =)
What have you been up to lately?
Wow, what a film! The images when they filmed him under the water are mesmerising! Unfortunately I am still far away from his "coolness". I screamed like a baby.
I can't believe that his skin doesn't get burns. Thank you for pointing this documentary out to me @purepinay . I had never heard of Dutchman Wim Hof or the fact that this is even humanly possible. He totally skips the SAUNA ! He doesn't need the heap of heat before he dives in!
What would be an extreme thing you could do in the Philippines? I'm sure there are a couple of high cliffs you could jump down from?
I think I would like to make this a regular habit - facing something you don't feel comfortable with at all once a week. I believe it's easier to do so whilst travelling, rather than when I'm in London. But it must also be possible in the city.
Concerning the topic of Christmas stories - but there must be fairytales or other nice originally Philippine stories!?
xx
Elena
Here's 3/5ths!!! (Above)
It's currently worth $0.41... it was higher when steem was higher...but still pretty good :)
You're great @thedamus !
It's absolutely wonderful!
x
that looks good to me..I would love to jump in a frozen lake follow by nice hot sauna :-) That's heaven to me :)
@themevlog - I believe that I must do this another 100 times before I might be capable to call in an enjoyment. The most stupid thing was to dive my head under the water. I don't know why I felt compelled to do so - but non of the Finnish people did that: FOR A GOOD REASON.
Do you like it so much because you get energised or rather because it makes your body feel heavy and relaxed. I still can't quite tell what is actually happening. Maybe I need a couple of more days to actually think clearly about it.
xx
I like it because it makes me feel clean and refreshed. Mainly it's the jolt to my body that I enjoy, sorta like having hot sauce with food? lol I don't know but I wish I was in your situation :)
Haha, maybe the one thing that I find even more difficult to deal with than ice cold water is spicy food.
But the most troubling point is: I LOVE SPICY FOOD. But I'm horribly wimpy in actually eating it.
ahh
you have to build your tolerance little by little...don't worry you will get there :)
Good effort and courage! Congratulation and upvote :)
@bluunz - thank you! I still feel the cold crawling over my back when I think about it.
x
I am Groot! :D
Hi @imangrootbot - sexy name for a bot.
Well, you definitely won the bet! How brave to jump into a frozen lake, and awesome pictures to document it all!
I can't imagine how cold it must be, and crazy that you can even feel it for the rest of the day.
Thanks @sirwinchester - it was something around 4°C I would say. However, much less than I could cope with. Nordsee is already to frosty for me. And I'm only talking about the air, not the water!
I think I really start enjoying to write this little Comic Books . Feels like the kind of storytelling you read in a Teenager's magazine.
It's certainly an interesting alternative to film :-)
Just a little experiment.
xx
First upvote at 70% just to show my good intentions... i should be back at 100% by tomorrow evening and you, @elenahornfilm, are my first priority for upvoting. 5 x full power upvotes coming your way :)
Cheers again! YOU DID IT!!!
Super and a daring post. U indeed have the guts to do this. Keep it up !!!
Hi @nainaztengra - thank you so much for your sweet post.
Have you ever tried to jump into a frozen lake?
I would not dare to do it even for a million dollar :-) I am just not made up for adventure
I dont believe you, @nainaztengra . How about animals? Are you afraid of spiders and snakes or not so much?
Afraid is an understatement my dear, I will be off my life if I would have to do any stunts with them @elenahornfilm
This is so great - well done - resteeming
Hi @anneke ! Thank you very much! You're wonderful.
xx
WOW that's embracing s fear and overcoming in style of recent
Awesome steps you have taken and documented cheers
Hi @tattoodjay , I'm very glad you enjoyed it. I believe this picture book story telling becomes my favorite style of this august.
Enjoy your wonderful evening! xx
You do it real well , you to have a good evening
Congratulations dear friend @elenahornfilm for this excellent post, these are things that you will keep as a great memory for the rest of your life, thank you very much for sharing this beautiful Aventure
I wish you a beautiful day.
Thank you dear @jlufer - I truly enjoy your posts. You put a lot of care into it and you have a good eye for photography.
When will you dive into a frozen lake? :-)
xx