When I set out to complete P29, I knew it was a lot to do in a year, and so I committed to this crazy purple hair as a sort of outward sign of my inward wildness.
I had planned all along to jump out of a plane on my actual 30th birthday; what an exciting and remarkable way to see the world as I enter into what’s likely to be the hardest ten years I’ll have ever faced?!
I woke up at 6 am on July 24th, my 30th birthday. I climbed down the stairs holding my wiggly fourth child in my arms. Surprisingly, my third born followed us down and within minutes my first born was sitting on the couch with us! I brewed a cup of coffee and sat down to drink it. This picture of domestic life is on display every morning in our house. The primary figures might be switched out, but there is always coffee!
It was such a normal morning; it was strange to me that I had passed into the thirties and was gearing up to go skydiving! But that’s how life is; a day seems so normal to everyone around you, yet it’s changing you or you’re changing it from the moment it begins.
We drove to pick up my mom, who said this when I told her about skydiving:
Me: “Mom, you don’t have to come if you don’t want to. I bought the video package.”
Mom: “I gave birth to you. I will see your feet touch back down on land safely again.”
Me: “Okay then.”
And so we drove to Piedmont Skydiving. Located in the Salisbury, NC area, it had the highest and most reviews of any skydiving place within reasonable distance to me. Positive reviews have never seemed so important🤣🤷🏼♀️
I waited my turn while a couple went and celebrated their anniversary by jumping out of a plane. Watching them land in their parachutes was somehow peace-giving and got me amped to take my turn.
I think everyone I know asked me if I was anxious or nervous or afraid. Truthfully, this was a pretty worry free venture. All I had to do was show up and trust a very experienced professional to keep me safe. I didn’t have to perform and there was nothing riding on my own merit here. Just a military trained sky diver taking care of me! I have always had great faith in people, particularly those with life experience, so as we strapped into the gear and then boarded the plane, I was not afraid.
We climbed 10,000 feet slowly in a tiny plane crammed in like sardines. The plane ride was the worst part! Because it was a small plane, it was not smooth and my typical motion sickness symptoms tried to rear up. Thankfully, the adrenaline was far stronger!
There was a solo jumper in the plane with my guide, Matt, and I. The time came and she jumped first. Matt and I were right behind her and as I watched her backflip in the open air, I had a typical(for me) moment with God; “Well Jesus, help me land alive.”
And then we jumped. Free falling, in space, looking at the earth so far down and hearing just the eerie, noisy silence of the air around you, is nothing short of phenomenal. It was the closest I’ve likely ever been to realizing God’s view, and yet as small as I was plummeting to earth, it was also crystal clear that I am HUMAN!
I think the funniest part was when my mouth was blowing all over like a dog with its head out the window. We were falling at 120 mph during free fall, and the air tasted strangely salty as it smothered me.
A few seconds later our big, billowy parachute was engaged and the life altering free fall was over. The parachute was very uncomfortable, or should I say the harness strapping me to Matt who was strapped to the parachute, was uncomfortable. It was very tight to the point of painful at points, but if ever there is a time to feel uncomfortable, it’s when your life saving apparatus is the cause🤷🏼♀️
Matt did some twists and turns with the parachute and that was identical to riding on a roller coaster which I don’t tend to do due to motion sickness, but it was fun and made the ride down more exciting.
He also pointed out my home town direction, and was conscientious about giving me space to just enjoy the process!
And then, I spotted my son! When he got ready that morning, he put on a bright orange shirt, and said “Mom, I wore orange so I’d be the first person you’d see when you looked down!” We’d joked that I’d notice his grandmother first if she happened to wear yellow, and we were hysterical when in fact she was when we picked her up! But no, it was definitely his bright orange that I spotted first😝
Finally it came time to land. Landing in the parachute was quick. You know how you’ll be on a flight and the pilot doesn’t announce that it’s time to land and suddenly you feel the wheels hit the tarmac? It’s so surprising and quick, and that’s just how it was in the parachute, except Matt even warned me!
Post landing, we gathered together and got into the car to drive home. That’s when an overwhelming wave of motion sickness came over me. The hour long drive home was pretty touch and go, but I snuggled in with Rhory when I got home and took a birthday siesta. When I woke up the nausea was gone and Friends, I’ll be doing it again. I’m hooked. Next time I’ll know to wear motion sickness patches and that the harness is super tight, but I am already itching to see the world from 10000 feet, free falling!
