See the curvature of the Earth.
It doesn't have to be all the way fuck out in space, where you have to be an astronaut with an IQ of 367 and years of training in gigantic washing machines that make you throw up and learn how to calculate re-entry profiles in your head without a pencil.

It can just be the edge of the void. Just touch the roof of Earth, where you can see the land curving away, where the sky goes black above you. That threshold where, if you jumped out naked, you would explode and freeze at the same time.

You know, like James May in the U-2 spy plane, with dramatic musical accompaniment, or the Toshiba Space Chair. To be able to go where earthbound living things really have no business being. A place that only an infinitesimal number of other humans has ever seen, indeed a place that no man had ever witnessed until just fifty years ago.

And then, after this monumental life-changing experience, I want to come back down and watch The Empire Strikes Back while giggling furiously.
(The 2-Belo OH SHI--[Sound of impact][End of recording], Fri 15 Oct 2010, 3:00, 11 replies)

errrm
If you go to the seaside and look out to sea, you can see the earth is curved.
It will probably be less expensive (unless you go by train then it's probably cheaper to hire a Russian rocket).
(Captain Spacker I lick windows, Fri 15 Oct 2010, 8:11, closed)

Only just discernible
Though I imagine if you find a very tall structure by the coast it would help
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Fri 15 Oct 2010, 8:21, closed)

like a lighthouse?
if only they built them next to the sea...
( blaireau69 , the Cumbrian Travis Bickle., Fri 15 Oct 2010, 9:57, closed)

You get my click-
Mostly for the last line, but for a realistic goal as well.
( Blind Meach Cautiously optimistic, Fri 15 Oct 2010, 8:43, closed)

^ this

(Sir Itchalot has a very self-referential signature, Fri 15 Oct 2010, 10:13, closed)

Oooh, I've done that
Sadly, Concorde flies no more, so you'd probably have to go to South Africa and buy a flight in a Lightning, or the same thing in Russia in a MiG or Sukhoi...
(Vice Admiral Sir Charles Cockbrush KCB MBE DSO, who is finding it increasingly difficult to log into b3ta.com wants to duck your aunt and kick your puppy, Fri 15 Oct 2010, 10:25, closed)

Me too
Sea level really isn't high enough to see decent curvature. It wasn't particularly obvious even at 60,000', maybe because of the tiny windows or perhaps more likely because I was wall-eyed on 1998 Pommery Cuvée Louise. More 'not quite flat' than 'ooh, it really is round.'
( Scrumper, Fri 15 Oct 2010, 17:54, closed)

(thinx)
Lawn chair, Weather Balloons, good strong string, heliums*, spare heliums, good quality GPS reciever with altitude measurement, wire cutters for cutting string, nice warm coat and gloves, oxygen mask.

Get to orbit in about an hour, controlled decent takes a little longer.

Anything I missed ?






*But not gerbils
( DukeEuphoria Comes highly reccomended, Fri 15 Oct 2010, 11:35, closed)

Just one thing
A piece of string attached from the wire cutters to you. I remember an adventurer by the name of Larry Walters who tied a load of helium balloons to a deckchair and used a BB gun to deflate the balloons. Unfortunately Lazza dropped the gun…
Story here
home.earthlink.net/~quade/lawnchair.html
(TitanLX, Fri 15 Oct 2010, 11:48, closed)

Oooh
Good call.

(updates plan to also include mobile phone)
( DukeEuphoria Comes highly reccomended, Fri 15 Oct 2010, 17:48, closed)

Not long to wait now
Richard Branson will make that a realisable dream within the next few years. The price has already dropped from $14,000,000 to $200,000...
(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Fri 15 Oct 2010, 11:40, closed)