A few things:
1. You have to sign a million papers (thanks to those damn lawyers).
2. We had to wait around FOREVER for our turn (regular, non-tandem jumpers have priority), and we all had to go up on different planes.
3. There was never any doubt in my mind that I would do it. I knew I would.
4. It was awesome!
Me and S, pre-jump
Practicing the "falling out of the plane" position with my instructor
Our trusty (?) aircraft
It is hard to describe the sensation that I had when I got to the door of the plane (except that, given the quality of the plane, I may have been safer outside of it than inside). My instructor gave me the signal. The air rushed by and filled the plane and my ears. The ground and the clouds were below me. We rock forward, backward, and then I'm falling. We're barreling towards the ground. I checked the altimeter on my wrist, and my instructor gave me the next signal. I grabbed at the rip cord, and the parachute was out. We jerked to a near-stop, and everything went completely quiet. The rushing air disappeared. The image smoothed out, no longer jerking around as we rushed downwards. We twisted and spun and fell through the clouds.
And all too soon, it was over.
You are brave. I would have died a thousand times over just in the waiting.
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