Free Falling
I’ve always thought skydiving was going to perpetually be on my list of “Things I Want To Do Before I Die.” But Love was set on going for her birthday last year, but then it rained. So this year, there was no question. The day was beautiful. We made our reservations. And we went.
Last year, I overwhelmed myself with doubt and fear of anticipation of actually going through with it. So instead, this year I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want to talk about it. I just knew it will happen soon. And soon enough, her birthday weekend came up and it was time to go. So I tried to think logically and logistically. I didn’t get myself amped up over it and I didn’t want to get excited. I just thought of all the things that needed to happen for us to make it out there.
It wasn’t until we were there and I was being strapped in that the reality hit me. My partner in the tandum jump, Connie, had talked me through what to expect. It was obvious that I was nervous. Logically, talking someone through the process should calm them. But the more she talked about what needed to happen, the more I realized how nervous I was about the whole thing. So I just withdrew within myself. I tried not to think about it too much and just gave in to the whole experience.
The two seconds it took to drop out of the plan was probably the worse of it all. Within those two seconds, I freaked out. But it passed as quickly as it came. All that anticipation and fear went out the door, literally! It was the most amazing experience I could ever imagine. In two seconds, I threw out years of being afraid of heights and being afraid of falling. I let go. And I submersed myself in the experience. Two seconds after that, it didn’t even feel like falling. I was floating through the air. This was the closest I’d ever get to feeling like flying. I even wore my Superman hoodie underneath in honor of the occasion.
I would definitely do it again.
Click here for some pics. I tried my very best to pick the most flattering ones! But as you can see from the video above, there are plenty of unflattering ones I didn’t post. :)
Unflattering photos and video footage aside, it was totally worth it. I can’t exactly say I’m a new man or I saw the face of God, but I will tell you that I did come to the realization that I’m capable of more than what I ever pegged myself for.
Be sure to check out Bay Area Skydiving if you’re ever interested. They really took care of us. Connie really was an amazing tandum partner and helped me get through this and not only survive, but helped me to enjoy the experience and have fun.
