I will always remember the day I crossed the Capilano Bridge, twice.

My last morning in Vancouver, my friend A and I were sitting in this Dutch breakfast place by the waterfront. Looking out, it was a picture perfect postcard that I’ve seen in my aunt’s house once. Different shades of blue and thousand layers of green, meticulously decorated by some white roofs of North Vancouver in the uphill and the seaplanes in the water and up in the sky. I can still smell the crispy, fresh, fall ocean air from this picture.

I was born in October, and I always had this theory that people tend to like the season they were born in the most. Autumn is always my favorite season. It’s a season to put on your snowy flavored hand cream, to wear your chunky knit and sweater, to fruit, to harvest, and to fall in love.

Maybe now autumn is the season for me to challenge myself as well.  While I was very much enjoying this view over some delicious Dutch pannekoeken, I was also dreading the fact that we are going to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.

There’s a free shuttle bus to take you from Canada Place to the Park, and it only takes 20 mins from Downtown Vancouver to get there, which is very convenient. The driver would tell you history and stories about different buildings and streets while we passing through town, our driver is a great guy with such a sense of humor, and we had a great laugh along the way, without noticing the time passing, we arrived in our destination in no time.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is located in North Vancouver firstly built in 1889. The Bridge itself is 140m long and 70m above the Capilano River. It might sound like nothing to some, but I have a crazy fear of height, any building over 10 floors high, I can not go near the window, honestly. I enjoyed the London Eye by sitting on the bench and holding on to it. I didn’t see a thing of London from above, what a shame. So at the beginning of this trip, I already told myself that I would go and walk through the bridge, I have to get over myself and get over the fear. It’s such a silly thing that you let your fear to take control of your mind, and I know it’s time for me to conquer this little silly thing and prepare to welcome a brand new Juliette! That being said, I still waited until the absolute last minute that there is simply no more room for negotiation. I just have to hit the road and go for it.

Here we go.

It would be a complete lie if I told you that I walked through the bridge so easily and that I just cured my fear of height, like magic. The truth is, I cried, in the middle of the bridge, yes, I cried.

It was okay to walk on in the beginning because you are around people and you will have to move forward as people behind are trying to pass through. But it was when I was halfway through, I found out that I’m all by myself and not a single people were around me. I know in many traveling scenarios, I would be thrilled to have the place alone all by myself, but not under this circumstance. I tried to hold on to the handrails as tight as possible but the whole bridge was shaking and it would do me no good, my friend was way ahead of me and I couldn’t move my feet, I started to panic and out of breathe, the fear of falling off the bridge was so strong that I started to cry, I didn’t know what to do.

But after the tears come to the senses, what is the worst thing that could happen? Falling off? If that’s meant to be, that’s meant to be. I don’t have problems to take a flight, and that is much higher than 70m. And what are the chances that I’m going to falling off? If the bridge is still firm and running, It should be safe right? Deep breathe and I put one foot in front of another and walked slowly through the rest of the journey.

My friend applauded when I reached the end of the bridge, and I started to cry again, but happy tears! Like the time when I finished 800m run and won first place in high school. Knowing that I have to do it again on the way back, I started to prepare myself and decided that I would walk the second time in confidence and pride! Haha.

I had such great fun in the treetop adventures among those towering evergreens and the cedar-scented rainforest! I could only imagine how beautiful this place would be with the lights on at night. I’ve decided already that I will come back for Christmas, it must be the most magical time of the year in the park! The air, oh I am so obsessed with the air! You can smell the forest and feel the freshness in your lung. At some point, I could hear my cells breathing.

And I did it! I walked my way back through the bridge with confidence and pride! I walked so fast that this time I waited for my friend to arrive! I know I’m like a kid, but I couldn’t be more proud when I received the certificate of “Across world-famous Capilano Suspension Bridge!” Actually, I had it framed and now it’s hanging in my living room next to my art pieces. (Judging you for judging me now.)

I wonder if I would enjoy the forest this much if I didn’t finish the journey. I guess we will never know. When we crossed again back to this side of the park, there was the Cliffwalk waiting for me. The new Cliffwalk follows a granite precipice along Capilano River with a labyrinth-like series of narrow cantilevered bridges, stairs and platforms and only 16 anchor points in the cliff supporting the structure! Exciting and scary, isn’t it? But at this very point, I practically think I can rule the world and I can fly. So I walked faster than ever and across the narrow cantilevered bridges like nobody is watching!

The experience did cure my fear of height. When I say cured I mean now when I go to my balcony at home (17th floor), I can go without shaking knees. I can look far to see the skyline from Pudong, and I can also look down to see the changing colors of the leaves on the street, the warm steam from the breakfast place. There are cars, there are lights.

Down there, there is life.

And all these were made possible because I crossed a 140m long suspension bridge.

To me, it’s pretty magical.

All photos my own shot in Vancouver, Canada.