However, that has not stopped me from living a bucket list kind of life. This year I have been white water rafting, spent a night in West Virginia and dun dun dun - went skydiving. Probs one of the most common bucket list life items.
This whole adventure started with a conversation that Jen and I had saying that we should really go skydiving.
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| This is Jen. Super Friendly. |
This is how Jen and I do things. We say we really want to do something and talk about how awesome it would be and how much we really, really, really want to do it, and then we wait for it to fall in our laps without putting in any effort. Luckily, this plan worked flawlessly this time.
One day, as I was looking through the groupon deals, there happened to be one for skydiving. So a phone call to Jen later, and our tickets were bought.
Here's another thing about Jen and I, once we spend money on something, we are committed to it. No backing out.
After quickly checking with our friends to see if anyone else wanted to join, and all of them essentially stating that they preferred living, we were well on our way to willingly jumping out of a plane. ha. ha. ha.
Three weeks ago Jen called D.C. Skydiving center and reserved our spots. ha. ha. ha.
Here is a screenshot of our initial feelings about skydiving.
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| We were so optimistic. |
Please ignore the fact that I spelled butterflies, butterflys.
Flash forward to the week before skydiving. Monday, April 22, 2013. We watch this video.
Ha. Ha. Ha.
Thursday, April 25, 2013. I feel like I'm going to throw up. The whole day. Probably more because of school and life stress, but I'm willing to attribute this feeling to skydiving.
Friday, April 26, 2013, I tell my group that they shouldn't count on me getting my work done because I will probably die. I decide not to do homework, because, hey I'm jumping out of a plane. This is nutz. Dance the night away. Can't sleep, too nervous. Text Jen telling her I can't sleep, too nervous. Shower, Watch this video again
Saturday, April 27, 2013. It is the day. Go to Jen's house. Drive to the chiropractor. Jen goes to the chiropractor. I sit in the car. Cry, cry. Go to a bookstore. Can't focus. Too nervous. Go to panera. Want food. I eat wondering what it will be like to throw the food up in a few hours.
We drive to the place, realize we are going to be an hour early, so we stop, have 7-11 slurpees and take a little bit of time to enjoy the weather. Then we continue to drive. As we approach the place, I yell and Jen stops the car as we see skydivers floating down from the sky.
With excitement we walk through the fields into the skydiving place. We stand in line and watch a video with a long bearded man saying that we may die and will never be able to sue lol. Then we sign six pages stating that we are never, ever, ever allowed to sue them. Lol again.
Once we signed the papers we took a quick five minute course in skydiving. Essentially, hold on and then spread your arms out. After our extensive training, Jen and I were ready to take the sky.
As we were waiting for our harnesses, we witnessed an argument between our instructor and some fellow sky divers. This was all very reassuring and encouraging. One on one the instructors were nice, helpful, and funny. And we all know humor is the most important factor of all.
The terrifying fear that I had felt left the moment we arrived at the place. Probably because my mind no longer had time to create terrifying scenarios, probably because it was finally real and that was something I could hold on to.
So from the moment we stood in line to check in, I began to feel more comfortable. Not excited, not worried, not terrified, comfortable. As I was walking toward the plane, this turned into an event that was happening, the build up led to this moment, and the moment was here and now it was more typical than atypical. So while sitting on the plane and watching the world become small and visible, I was calm. The view was beautiful, the world was below me for my viewing.
I hear Jen's yells and screams. The door to the airplane opens. I watch as Jen spills over the side of the plane. And through this all, the butterflies that were in my stomach the week before are gone. I scoot my body (with the attached instructor) to the edge of the open door. First my legs dangle out, then we are standing on nothing, on air, as the instructor holds onto the doorframe of the plane. He asks if I am ready, and with a sense of calm I throw up a thumbs up. Then he lets go of the doorframe. We are parallel to the ground, the wind is overwhelming. I let out a yelp, because that is the moment that skydiving became real. Facing the open fields and perfectly cut out subdivisions is when I realized this was happening, I was no longer holding on to anything, this was a completely new experience, something I had never come remotely close to before. So in that brief moment I felt, not terror, but not comfort. I felt newness. Something I had never experienced before.
So after getting that yell out of my system, I relaxed and tried to comprehend the fact that I could see Washington D.C., Manassas, and Warrenton all at the same time with my own eyes. I tried to comprehend the fact that I could view the roads we had just traveled on, the backyards of people who lived complex lives. And that view made me realize, how small it all is, how little. What a weird thought that when I am on the ground, everything is so big and overwhelming and important. Viewing it all from above made it seem like time was standing still, like nothing was really occurring. Surreal.
Anyway the week leading up to this experience was stressful because the idea of jumping out of a plane is crazy. However, the actual experience was a moment to slow my life down, to remove myself from all the stress and anxiety and deadlines. It was a phenomenal experience and I wish I could accurately use words to depict the serenity and newness of the experience.
Here are some images of the view and Jen.
Once we signed the papers we took a quick five minute course in skydiving. Essentially, hold on and then spread your arms out. After our extensive training, Jen and I were ready to take the sky.
As we were waiting for our harnesses, we witnessed an argument between our instructor and some fellow sky divers. This was all very reassuring and encouraging. One on one the instructors were nice, helpful, and funny. And we all know humor is the most important factor of all.
The terrifying fear that I had felt left the moment we arrived at the place. Probably because my mind no longer had time to create terrifying scenarios, probably because it was finally real and that was something I could hold on to.
So from the moment we stood in line to check in, I began to feel more comfortable. Not excited, not worried, not terrified, comfortable. As I was walking toward the plane, this turned into an event that was happening, the build up led to this moment, and the moment was here and now it was more typical than atypical. So while sitting on the plane and watching the world become small and visible, I was calm. The view was beautiful, the world was below me for my viewing.
I hear Jen's yells and screams. The door to the airplane opens. I watch as Jen spills over the side of the plane. And through this all, the butterflies that were in my stomach the week before are gone. I scoot my body (with the attached instructor) to the edge of the open door. First my legs dangle out, then we are standing on nothing, on air, as the instructor holds onto the doorframe of the plane. He asks if I am ready, and with a sense of calm I throw up a thumbs up. Then he lets go of the doorframe. We are parallel to the ground, the wind is overwhelming. I let out a yelp, because that is the moment that skydiving became real. Facing the open fields and perfectly cut out subdivisions is when I realized this was happening, I was no longer holding on to anything, this was a completely new experience, something I had never come remotely close to before. So in that brief moment I felt, not terror, but not comfort. I felt newness. Something I had never experienced before.
So after getting that yell out of my system, I relaxed and tried to comprehend the fact that I could see Washington D.C., Manassas, and Warrenton all at the same time with my own eyes. I tried to comprehend the fact that I could view the roads we had just traveled on, the backyards of people who lived complex lives. And that view made me realize, how small it all is, how little. What a weird thought that when I am on the ground, everything is so big and overwhelming and important. Viewing it all from above made it seem like time was standing still, like nothing was really occurring. Surreal.
Anyway the week leading up to this experience was stressful because the idea of jumping out of a plane is crazy. However, the actual experience was a moment to slow my life down, to remove myself from all the stress and anxiety and deadlines. It was a phenomenal experience and I wish I could accurately use words to depict the serenity and newness of the experience.
Here are some images of the view and Jen.
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