It’s not every day that you conquer your biggest fear, but why not do it when you’re having the experience of a lifetime?

On my first day in London, I tried raw fish for the first time simply because I was here (and also quite jet-lagged), but it actually turned out to be rather good and I’m proud of myself for the attempt. Since my arrival, I have tried to do things that I never would have in the comforts of Massachusetts, including public transportation and asking for directions. I have tried to branch out in smaller increments, yet I was in for my biggest shock today. One of the biggest tourist attractions here is the Eye of London, an enormous Ferris wheel that was built to celebrate the millennium. Of course, all my classmates were dying to go, but I was apprehensive to the point of sickness; I am positively terrified of heights, and often the fear is coupled with nausea and tremors. It took some coaxing, but along with my friend Mei (who shares the same fear), I stepped into the car and ascended into the sky.

For my first few days at London, I have felt like an ant: small, easily crushed by moving cars, being shoved left and right on the tube and on crosswalks. Yet today, for the first time since we arrived, I felt on top of the world – and I literally was. There are no words to describe the beauty and the tranquility of the Eye, and even the 50+ photographs I took do not do it justice. I’m not sure what it is about the wheel, but it has a way of making me feel great, and my fears seem small, like tiny specs from another world.

You only get one lifetime, so live fearlessly.