I want to give it to you raw – as precise as I can recall. I can write this filled with the positive experience but I choose to give you exact details. Beware, it’s long!
The Contemplation
Most of us talk about the things we want to do in our lifetime. Some even make a bucket list. About six months ago, I told myself I want to sky dive one of these days. I didn’t have it written down anywhere but I sure did have it in the back of my mind—somewhere. Six months later, I met up with a friend who is always challenging herself and thought that it would be a great idea to go on an excursion to sky dive for her birthday. Just to give you a background about myself, I was ill for about a month, was in heavy dose of antibiotics and other pain medication. I did get better for a week. Then a week after that, you would not believe that I was on crutches. Basically I wasn’t 100% healthy. Therefore, when I was asked if I wanted to join while I was still on crutches, I said “HELL NO! Not in this condition!” I thought that I was pretty much asking for it, how I just want to keep being sick or at least attracting it. Three days before the trip, I was finally off my crutches. So the night before the excursion, I started to think about it more and more on how much I really wanted to sky dive. After contemplating thru out that night, I decided that I really want to do it. If something were to happen, it will happen. Before falling asleep, I managed to put my alarm on to wake me up. And, just in case, I change my mind I can just press snooze off on my alarm and not go at all. Easy as that, I told myself.
Beginning of the Day
Morning sets in; I had an ongoing trial playing in my head with lawyers telling me why I should be guilty of skydiving and the other lawyer defending how I should stay innocent from this extreme sport. Of course, the thought of me jumping out of the plane just kept playing over and over – like a broken record in my head, which is normal and I find acceptable. It was the thought of landing bad, or something going wrong that just made me frantically worried, especially the fact that three days ago, I had to support myself with crutches just to do the motion of walking. After fighting with myself, I realize I need to compose my mind and body. I need to meditate, give myself some sense and clarity.
Clearing of the Mind
Fear seems to be the only factor that keeps a person from performing a task or facing a challenge. Fear can be of anything you want it to be. Specifically for me, it was fear of the unknown. What is it that I fear about? Aha, it is because I didn’t know anything about skydiving. All I knew about this sport is, you come out from a plane with just a piece of cloth threaded together and a couple of those elastic rubber bands strapped onto your body that’s suppose to take you down safely back to the land. I decided to face fear head on by researching. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, skydiving means the sport of jumping from an airplane at a moderate altitude (as 6000 feet) and executing various body maneuvers before pulling the ripcord of a parachute. I couldn’t stop browsing thru videos and relevant information online. By coming to somewhat of an understanding what I feared from, I was able tackle it. Bravely I told myself, “I’m really going to do this! It’s now or never! I’ll regret not doing it.” So I went with all the courage I had. My friends, on the other hand, were looking for all of the weirdest, craziest, worst sky diving experiences online. Clearly, it’s different for all of us on how we would tackle this extreme sport or any challenges we come across.
The Contract
Rush of adrenaline crawled thru my veins the moment we set foot at the Marina Airport. We were in a gigantic warehouse where the small airplanes were parked on the first half of the lot. While on the other half, there were about twenty excited people either getting ready to sky dive or watching a skydiver get ready. I was delighted to obtain the information with my fellow jumpers from the front desk I immediately started reading the ridiculous ten-page paper that was handed over to me by the receptionist. Usually, I like to read what I’m about to sign, for example, a check where it says Pay To The Order Of. I want to make sure I write the right name or didn’t accidentally put too many zeroes or sign at the wrong line. The first page wasn’t bad at all. It asked to provide my general information such as name, address, all of the information you always write down on any application. However, by the second page, where they had information about sky diving and other blah blah blah’s, et cetera, etc’s, at least for this particular company, at the bottom of the contract, it requested that we copy down word for word this statement: “sky diving is an extreme sport…it could result injury or even death…” My thoughts started running wild again. “That’s really the way to go, to calm a person who is planning on jumping off a plane”, I said to myself sarcastically. Hello? Could they come up with any much weirder contract than this? Then, I realized that there are about eight more pages to go, so I decided not to read any of it and just initial, sign and date wherever they wanted me to do so. “There, it’s done, can I jump now?” I broadcasted. I was one of the first to finish signing the contract. I heard whispers from the others, almost murmuring my same thoughts about the contract. I felt re-assured that my fellow skydivers feel the same way.
The Assurance
How thankful I was, being part of the third batch to fly. It gave me a chance to watch the first two batches of people taking off and landing safely out in the field effortlessly. When my friends who were part of the second batch landed as smooth as if they didn’t just come shooting out from the sky, that moment I was 100% sure, I was ready.
Getting Ready
A shuttle bus took as from the open field to the warehouse lot with the bravest, most fearless first and second batches of skydivers. Moments later, I heard my name being called out. “Ellaine” yelled by this swift, mid-thirties, pony tailed about five and ten inches Caucasian man. “Here!” I responded while raising my hand as if I was in a classroom. As I started walking towards him, I can see his mouth moving up and down, talking about 50 words per minute on what to do when we get up there. I became brain dead. My only recollection out of the five-minute prep talk was he asking me, “Do you have any questions?” I looked down to my body not realizing that I was all geared up to a skydiver suit with black straps entangled with hooks tightly strapped on me. That was quick. And then, I replied to his question, “can you repeat that?” He laughed at me as if I was kidding. He quickly followed the laughed with, “don’t worry, we’ll go over this when we get up in the plane!” I replied, “okay?!” with uncertainty still mesmerized by the fact that I was all prepped-up. I couldn’t help but fiddle around the straps and hooks fastened to my body, questioning if these things would really be able to perform the way it should while going who knows how many miles per hour from the sky. Intrigued by them, I decided to stop fiddling. I could accidentally unstrap myself if I continue.
The Departure
When the propellers started turning from the same plane that took the first two batches, I knew it was time to go. Even though, I was doing it with the people I trust, the world revolved around me, myself and I. I need to focus on myself, my survival and no one else’s. I started walking with my co-sky diver side by side very psyched up, pumped to death, ready to go and do this stunt. The white plane was about less than 20 feet long. As I was climbing the stairs to get on the plane, I found myself ducking my head down. How could this be? I never duck down. The interior of the plane was no more than five feet wide by five feet in length. I looked forward towards the front of the plane where the crisp uniformed pilots were busy prepping up. Then, suddenly I was caught off guard, some-what confused when I finally realized that what we’re going to be sitting-on was this two long paralleled un-cushioned, about twelve-inches wide gray seat, built into the aircraft facing the opposite direction of the plane. The space was definitely limited. We were snugged in together all in the same position literally and probably mentally and emotionally.
Taking Off
On a regular normal airplane, taking off and landing was my biggest worries. On this plane trip, I can eliminate my landing worries since I’m going on a different route. As for the taking off, I was all caught up with my emotions of me flying out from the sky 18,000 feet high that I felt safe taking off than skydiving in the air.
While trying to reach the right altitude, I couldn’t help but stare at my co-sky diver’s big black and white altitude watch were it ended at 11,000 feet in red color like the one found in my car for gas. My eyes widened when I realized that we need to go about 7,000 feet more. What would happen to his watch? Would it crack, I asked myself and realized that this is a more useful tool when you jump out. Suddenly, a man from behind me yelled out “we won’t be able to breath in this altitude now!” I was puzzled. Was he for real?
The Plunge
This intense loud noise of the air blowing caught my attention. Someone had opened the door, a sign we’ve reached 18,000 feet. My heart jumped. “Oh my gosh!” I exclaimed with fear and joy all together to myself. Slowly, people started walking towards the back of the aircraft. One by one, the bodies were sucked out of the aircraft and into open space. It’s my turn, I realized when there’s no one in front of me with the exception of the cameraman and only people behind me. I literally had to talk to myself “you need to start walking towards the door of the plane”. I found myself taking baby steps towards the door. I looked out and was full of confusion but still with a big smile on my face. I surely wouldn’t want the cameraman to capture me in my worse facial expression. How do I do this? I didn’t get to answer myself since my co-sky diver pushed me off the tip of the door into this pure innocent fresh air. The first breath I took, I was suppose to let go but couldn’t. I held on to it. I couldn’t believe I was flying in the sky. For about thirty seconds, it was free falling, doing whatever we want to do. Then I heard the first strap pulled out, I didn’t feel any changes since I knew it wasn’t the actual parachute yet, I still felt like I was floating in the air. Then I realized, someone was yelling at me, but I couldn’t hear anything he was saying. I tried to yell back “I think I’m deaf!” He shouted back “WHAT?” I yelled back again, “I THINK I’M DEAF!” He came closer to my ear and asked me “are you okay?” His tone of voice was so concerning and then I realized I’m not deaf, my earlobes are clogged. After all I can still hear him. I answered back “yeah, I’m fine!” I was trying to process everything as fast as I could. The breezy air was the only element that’s closest to me. I was still about 10,000 feet up in the sky. I could see everything. I was floating. I was flying. I was swimming in the air. I was giving a peace sign, a high five, a knuckle, and a smile to the world and the cameraman. From that very moment, I knew I conquered my own little world.
The Struggle
The parachute came out; my co-sky diver asked me if I wanted to stir. I yelled back “sure” with amazement. I realized after doing a couple of stirring, I should hand it back to him since both of our lives are at risk. I sort of let go of the handle before he had it tightly secured in his hands that freaked us out for a moment. If he didn’t catch it, we’d be in big trouble. Good save! Both of us were still floating in the air. I’m still trying to absorb as much as I could. Inhale all of the fresh air. I felt a tap on my shoulder from my co-sky diver. He yelled, “I’m going to open the parachute and lower you now!” while trying to catch his breath at the same time. He had to detach some of the hooks as a proper and normal procedure, which caused me to fall much lower than him. That sudden drop from the attachment was a little nerve wrecking. In my mind, I was sort of questioning him and hoping that he knows what he was doing, that he doesn’t accidentally unstrap me. Since the parachute was pulling us up, my hooks came up to my neck. I started to struggle. Some thing is wrong here. The hooks were strangling me. I started to panic. I couldn’t say anything. I was still trying to process everything. I started meditating again with my eyes open, thinking, I’m going to be alright. I pulled my head up giving me room to breath but the hooks were still pressing on my throat. I started to get scared. “You’re going to be fine” is what I kept telling myself. I wrapped both of my hands on each side of the hooks so that it’s not pressing as much on my neck. There, I felt better. Looking down, I saw colorful bright parachutes coming down to land. I realized we were the last one to land. We were floating for the longest time, at least five whole minutes but felt like eternity. Besides my struggles, I started to feel sentimental, thankful for everything, the sky, the air, the trees, the plants, and the people. Then, the final part of sky diving, landing safely. He steered the parachute and as we came closer to the people on the ground. I started waving to them with excitement. Mean while, my co-skydiver whispered to me “we need to land on our butt!” I’m an easy person to talk to so I responded “okay?!” The breezy fresh air was gone; I felt the heat of the land. Moments later, we landed on our butt safely in the grass. I was released off the parachute and it was such a relief to be standing on the ground again. I ran over to my fellow humans on earth to share this wonderful experience with them. It was over. I sky dived.
The Altitude
At first I was a little skeptic about jumping from which altitude since the company offered the option of jumping from 10,000, 15,000 or 18,000 feet. We chose the highest altitude that was available. If you’re going to sky dive, mine as well come from as far as you can. If I go again and its less than 18,000 feet, I think it’ll seem like a piece of cake or maybe not.
Natural High
The “natural high” is definitely what you get, particularly from the first few moments when you jump out of the airplane. It was so surreal. And when you’re feeling that “high”, it can be addicting, as if you just can’t get enough. You don’t ever want to stop getting that feeling. After this experience, my friend who invited me have decided to obtain her license as a professional skydiver. More power to her, I say!
Defying the Law of Gravity
The most outrageous part of this whole experience was the fact I chewed on the same piece of bubble gum I had in my mouth from the time I set foot at the airport to landing in my butt on the ground coming from sky diving. I found it incredibly amusing that this gum defied the law of gravity by staying inside my mouth. It was tasteless and hard by the time I came to this realization. As absurd as this may sound, this particular Orbitz mint gum provided some comfort to me like a baby sucking on a pacifier.
The Complaint
I felt exhausted after skydiving. What did I really expect to feel when I came flying from the sky? The straps left red marks on my already tanned skin. My throat was bruised from the hooks. Head and body ache seem to be the favorite complaint from most skydivers. I’d be more worried if after skydiving, there's no side effects. Other than that, I managed to drive two long hours back to San Francisco.
The Result
It’s an accomplishment for myself! I know it is not something I can write in my resume. It’s that feeling that “I did it!” which no one could take away, no matter what. I did it for me. No one influenced me. It was my choice, my decision. I wasn’t pressured at all. I’m grateful that my friends did it with me. I do feel like we’ve developed an inner connection between one another because of this extreme experience. I may not be able to play football, baseball or basketball as I would love to but I sure did skydive. Despite of the struggles from this experience, I would love to sky dive again.
Honestly, it didn’t sink in to my head that I just flew 18,000 feet until I saw the video. Watch it and tell me what you think! http://www.youtube.com/ellaineappler
Actual Sky Dive Date: March 9, 2008
Written on March 11, 2008
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