Jumping Out of a Perfectly Good Airplane!

Yesterday was a big day for me! I finally did it. I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane in my first tandem skydive. My husband gave me this adventure as a 16th wedding anniversary present. I joke that he was not jumping with me. Was he ready to be rid of me? I can joke about it because I know better than that. We are like all other couples and life is not perfect, we have our moments that don't feel so good, but we also have our great moments and we have the most important ones; those moments when we know that we are both in it for the long haul wading through whatever the world has to give to us.

Skydiving is one of those things that has come up at family dinners on many occasions in the past. John and his brother went years before I met them. John's dad and sister-in-law Angelica went for Phil's 60th birthday. Everyone said it was really cool, but no one was in a hurry to go again. Each time, the conversation came up, I would say I really want to do that someday. The Chicagoland Skydive Center moved out to Rochelle and a friend of mine went skydiving and was telling us about how great it was. Ruth Ann, who also went skydiving yesterday had this on her bucket list. she was the medical advocate and close friend to Marilyn (John's mom.) Phil decided that this would be a great way to say think you for all of her help through Marilyn's illness and a great 70th birthday present to boot.

There is not much time once you are at the Skydive facility to really think about what you are committing to.

You do have to sign and initial away any possible consideration of you or your heirs suing the company, but really when you decide to do this, you know the risks, it is probably part of why you are there in the first place.

This is on the cover of the forms that you sign.

Ruth Ann and Me

 I was really excited and surprisingly not scared.

 The moment between being on the plane looking out and the moment when there is no longer anything solid beneath your feet, was that one second of "What the hell was I thinking?" and then you were just going. No point is asking why, just time to enjoy or be totally afraid. I chose enjoyment.

 Three miles of falling bliss.

 Spinning around above the earth.

 Once the parachute is open, the world is quiet, you are floating and souring above the earth slowly coming back to land. If you look straight down, you can see your feet and the earth way, way below. For me this was a moment of exhilaration. I laughed out loud at this wondrous feeling.

 Floating in the atmosphere, looking around, excitement and peace merged into joy.

 Back to land. Adrenalin still pumping. Out of body experience with the earth jolting you back to reality.

Another thing off my bucket list as they say. My bucket list of sorts is constantly being replenished. There are a few things that have been there for a while and there are new things being added as I see what others experience in life. On occasion, something goes in moments before I take it out and just do it. Why wait? When the timing is right, you should go for it. You never know if or when the timing will be right again.

If you would like to see the video of my first jump, Click Here. Yes, I say first jump. I would do it again. . . when the timing is right.