Image Map

Friday, February 1, 2013

The day I was feeling adventurous

Friday is here, *party*... and I'm finally going back to work. Apparently the school districts surrounding my home are CLOSED today due to snow... so I'm hoping the roads are alright on my way in to work today!

I told you all in my Wednesday post about my random facts... and one of them was that when I turned 18, my birthday was on a Sunday, & I got baptized in my church, by my uncle... and my mom's present to me was to take me skydiving.

I had ALWAYS wanted to "make the jump", and that is what she asked me when I woke up... "You ready to jump today?" and I knew exactly what she meant. I don't think I could've hopped out of bed any quicker!

My baptism was the very best moment of my life, there are no words I could use to describe it but I can try:

Amazing.
Life changing.
Freeing.

So you can imagine my excitement as I leave church, with people asking "How are you going to spend your big 1-8?!" ...."oh you know, the standard. Jumping out of an airplane. Good thing I got saved today, right?..." I am so awkward.

So, we hopped in the car... and headed to the little airport that runs this thing. I was so excited I could hardly stand it!


We get there and I realize I totally was unprepared... I mean, what the frick am I wearing!? (skank) ... besides, I was wearing flip flops... did I really think those would stay on during the free fall!? I had NO socks.. and had to wear my brothers disgusting shoes.

I apparently got over it...


I met one of THE coolest people on the planet. His name is Dale. He was celebrating his 80th birthday, and we were plane partners... it was very cool getting to know him. Even funnier? We found him on facebook and keep up with he and his family from time to time. He's still kickin!


That is me training with my instructor who (I would be awkwardly strapped too) was teaching me the ropes.

Part of the package my mom bought me was for the company to document my entire visit there. They hilariously interviewed me as I got ready, as I was entering the plane, etc. The photographer "assigned" to me was wearing a helmet with a camera strapped to the top. I asked him how he took the pictures with out seeing and he said attached to the camera is a mouthpiece... and every time he bites down on it, it snaps a picture.

?!!?? How freaking cool!

I can honestly say... I wasn't a bit nervous until the thing on my wrist showed me how high we were... wowzaaas. We were getting up there. I mean, above the clouds. Like the view from a window seat in an airplane... except then I realized, I don't get to stay in this airplane.

My heart started racing and I actually started to pray, HA!


People started falling out of that plane one by one...Dale was SO ready he couldn't hardly stand it. I was the last one out... and I got hit by that wind so hard my lips couldn't stay shut. It took me about 4 seconds before I remembered how to breathe!




I must've forgotten the photographer was there because ALL I could do was stare at the ground I was plummeting towards! Then the little dude on my back yelled "CAMERA!!" in my ear... and I remembered. HECK YES!


My hair was CRAA(z)Y!


This shot was where I tried so hard to blow a kiss but I couldn't, for the life of me, get my lips to pucker. 

At this point we had been free falling for a good 30 seconds, and you can see we are STILL above the clouds. I mean, this was high.


He told me when he threw his arms infront of me like that and began to wave, he was going to pull the second parachute which is what would immediately slow us down...



& just like that. WOOP! Up we go. My poor legs didn't know what to do with themselves!

If you're wondering "wasn't it awkward? Gradually falling towards the ground at a really slow pace with a man uncomfortably strapped to your back?" .... why yes, yes it was. We talked about his kids, his tattoos, our hobbies... you know, the usual.



That was Dale, from my photographers perspective. Isn't is BEAUTIFUL?!



Success! Cannot wait to go again. Except Caleb swears that he'll never let me. He thinks I'm going to die. Doesn't he know its perfectly safe? ;)

Next on my list? Bungee jumping!

22 comments:

  1. This looks awesome! I have always wanted to go skydiving!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow what an awesome way to spend your birthday!! I've always wanted to go but I'm pretty sure I'll freeze up when it comes to the part of actually jumping out of the plane!

    ReplyDelete
  3. its scary for me just to LOOK at these pictures, but props to you. I love that you talked to that guy on the way down, so funny.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh my goodness I went skydiving the summer before last- it was the craziest thing ever! That moment when the second parachute got pulled was what had me scared! But definitely awesome to do :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. How exciting! And Dale? How sweet is that? :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. "good thing I got saved today" haha! You are too cool--I've always wanted to go skydiving...maybe someday.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am SO jealous! Andre' doesn't want me to go, either, but he can just get over it. I'm going! I'll just show him this post, perfectly safe!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Youz a crazy ho! ;) I would never do this lol, you so braveeeee!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kayla you just crack your Nanny up. I love this. What an amazing trip we had just watching your pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh my goodness that I so awesome! My best friend has been sky diving twice, she loves it. I don't know if I could ever do it! I'm such a chicken. I'd def sky dive over bungee jump though, eeek!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'M SO JEALOUS!!!! Perhaps 2013 is my year to finally make the jump, too! I've wanted to do it for so long, and definitely before I have kids, so I'm thinking yes :) Plus, I want pictures as cool as yours!

    ReplyDelete
  12. that's awesome! and I love your tank top haha (:

    ReplyDelete
  13. i am SUPER jealous. I took my ex boyfriend for his birthday last year and he tried to convince me to go with him but I was too nervous! After he landed and had so much fun, I definitely regretted it. I gotta do it some day!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. You are so much braver than me! I have to admit that view is fabulous though!

    ReplyDelete
  15. That's crazy - I don't think I could ever do that!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. i was excited just reading this, i'd probably love to skydive but i've never even flow...not sure if my first time in an airplane i should be jumping out.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm so glad you posted about this! This is THE coolest 18th birthday present ever! What a great idea. Some day I'm going to do this for all my kids. I love that you showed up wearing flip flips. There was a groupon for this a few months ago. We almost bought it. Now I'm thinking WHY didn't we?

    ReplyDelete
  18. That seems so fun! I just don't know if I could ever do it! lol

    ReplyDelete
  19. How funny! Looks like so much fun! You crack me up, too - you know that instructor was excited to have a pretty blonde strapped to him for quite some time!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Ahh I would NEVER! Dom has jumped 3 times and loves it, he is definitely the adrenaline junkie of the relationship! He also did the biggest bungee jump in the souther hemisphere (and one of the highest in the world) Nevis in New Zealand. The video literally makes me cringe!! You are so brave!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. oh my goodness! i'm pretty sure my stomach drops just looking at these pictures!! how cool that you did that! I would be terrifed!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I seriously almost died reading this. Like I really got anxiety! YOU ARE SO BRAVE! It looks amazing but I don't think I could ever do it! My husband is dying to go!

    Awesome pictures! :)

    xo

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your comments, I read and respond to every single one of them! :) Excited to get to know you!