I wanted to take a moment and talk about one of the most amazing things I have ever done!
One thing to know about me, I do things on impulse. If you give me the time to sit there, think about it, mull it over and think about every single scenario and outcome I will, and will normally talk myself out of whatever it may be. On the other hand, if you throw something at me from left field with little to no time to think about it I will more than likely try it!
This was one of those impulse decisions...
For my mom's 40th birthday she had decided she wanted to do something a little crazy. Her best friend and her came up with the idea to go skydiving. They planned this about a month or so before her birthday and were going to do the actual jump on her birthday. The night before we had a huge dinner with friends and family and it was brought up that I was not going with them. It hadn't even occurred to me. My mom looked at me though and asked "would you really do it?" I didn't even think about it before answering and said "sure, why not?"
Next thing I knew we were on our way to SkyDive City in Zephyrhills, Florida to literally jump out of an airplane at 13,000 feet above the ground. I don't think it hit me what we were about to do until I was boarding this miniature plane that fit about 6 people with my instructor strapped to my back... That is when the fear set it, but by then, it was to late.
Posing for a picture before we got suited up. Somehow we were still full of smiles and ready to go!
Suited and ready to go...
I think this is the moment the nerves kicked in for me. Boarding this super tiny plane with a complete stranger strapped to my back and knowing that once I am in this plane, the only way I am getting out is my jumping out of it.
Trying to hide my nerves in this picture, not really working! Because the plane is so small you can hear every little bit of movement and turbulence so the ride up is extremely loud!
I advised my instructor that I wanted to be the first to jump because I didn't want time to think about it.. he thought to be funny he would let me think that but seat us so that we had no choice but to go last. I watched my mom's best friend jump, my mom jump, and then the pilot told us to shut the door! Shut the door? What, I was actually going to do this? We had apparently flown outside of the "jump zone" and needed to circle back around before I could go. Not only did my mom, who was on the ground way before me wondering where the heck I was start to worry, but I also started thinking, UM I CAN'T DO THIS!
At this point your instructor will normally show you a couple hand signs meaning arms to chest, legs together, something like that so all you can do is focus on what they are telling you. I literally cannot tell you how fast your fear will evaporate after leaping out of the plane. Standing in the open doorway looking down and seeing clouds is one of the scariest sights, but the second you jump your fear vanishes.
First off, you do not get that stomach dropping feeling like you imagine after riding a roller coaster. You literally feel like you are hovering or floating and the only thing that makes you realize that you are going down is by your sight. Passing through clouds is COLD! but feels amazing.
If you ever have the chance to go skydiving, don't think about it. Just do it! It is such an amazing experience that is impossible to truly explain to someone that has never experienced it. It is a once in a lifetime type of experience.
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