Chasing the High: The Who, What, How, and Why of an Adrenaline Junkie

You have friends who post pictures of their food, shopping spree, and OOTD. And then there might be those whose stories for the day are bungee jumping, zip lining, and all the things you might think are risky. They are adrenaline junkies: people who enjoy intense thrills and risks to feel the rush of adrenaline. Or maybe that’s you?

What is Adrenaline?

So, what happens when one is engaging in risky activities? “Adrenaline (epinephrine) is a hormone your adrenal glands send through your bloodstream. When you’re scared or stressed suddenly, adrenaline is quickly sent into your body. This is commonly known as an adrenaline rush because it happens so fast. You’ve probably heard of “fight or flight.” Adrenaline is what gets your body ready to fight or flee danger.”

The temporary changes that adrenaline causes in the body are sudden bursts of energy, increased heart rate or palpitations, increased intake of oxygen to give to the muscles, and improved senses. It makes the body pause on some functions to focus on the situation at hand. The effects usually last for an hour to subside.

If you are enjoying the feeling of the adrenaline rush, you probably are an adrenaline junkie. However, you can be a non-junkie and still, challenge yourself to do something new once in a while. I have always made it a point to include an exciting activity during my travels to keep my blood pumping.

So what can you challenge?

If you are looking for some activities which can be normally found in some of your itineraries (which do not need extra skills), here are some ideas:

What is one way to get pumped and have some nice pictures and souvenirs? Theme parks!

Thrilling roller coaster ride

You can start on simple ones to test your limit. Theme parks usually indicate the level of thrill for each of their rides. Ensure to always follow safety guidelines for full enjoyment. Most often, the big rides snap a picture of their riders during the peak, so don’t forget to get a copy to see yourself enjoying (hopefully), or screaming. Either way, it is a good keepsake.

They also have a variety of activities to calm your nerves down after an exhilarating ride, like enjoying parades, playing arcade games, and trying your luck in one of the carnival games.

Challenge your fear of heights while also enjoying the cityscape by going up observatory towers.

It's nice looking out into the horizon from high above. An observatory tower can provide good views of the place you are touring in. You can go either in the morning or enjoy the city lights at night. Try stepping on glass floors and then looking down for more excitement. Some towers offer access to areas even above the observatory floor, like CN Tower’s Edge Walk. I have a separate blog about this experience, which you can read here. Look for revolving restaurants too within these towers, like N Seoul Tower’s n.Grill in South Korea. I suggest you eat after spending some time in dizzying heights so you don't have to hold your meal in.

Enjoy the view and the activity

Offering both speed and height, zip lines are a fun way to go from A to B, with a view.

Zip lines are usually found in open spaces, like when visiting nature, but they are also found in the cityscape, like Las Vegas Strip's Fly LINQ. This is a great way to see the view from high up without obstacles and feel the wind on your face. Zip lines can travel around 25 to 30 miles an hour. There are also zip lines where you and your friends can go at the same time, so at least you have someone to share the blast with.

Heart-pounding challenges are fun but safety always comes first.

Risky activities are fun as long as everyone follows instructions and makes safety a priority. Always check out the activities before engaging them, research, and listen to the personnel in charge. Also, just like hobbies, activities, or anything under the sun, moderation is key. Getting an adrenaline rush is subjecting your body to stress, and excessive stress is bad for your health. Balance your heart-pounding fun with moments of relaxation and spend quality time with loved ones. This is why it is nice to mix thrills in your vacation so that you still get time to explore the city, learn its culture and the ways of the people, and take in the nice views too.

So have you decided where will your next trip be?

References

Allarakha, S. (2021, October 21). What Happens When You Get an Adrenaline Rush? 8 Symptoms. MedicineNet. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://www.medicinenet.com/what_happens_when_you_get_an_adrenaline_rush/article.htm

Canada Lands Company. (n.d.). Brave the EdgeWalk. CN Tower. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://www.cntower.ca/brave-the-edgewalk

CJ Foodville. (n.d.). Restaurant n.GRILL | N SEOUL TOWER. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from http://www.nseoultower.co.kr/eng/visit/restaurant.asp

Cleveland Clinic. (2022, May 19). Adrenaline: Where the hormone is located & what it does. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23038-adrenaline

Fly LINQ - Las Vegas Zipline | The LINQ Hotel. (n.d.). Caesars Entertainment. Retrieved July 20, 2023, from https://www.caesars.com/linq/things-to-do/attractions/fly-linq