Kayla MKOY: skydiving

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.