bryanjazz

The forecast called for scattered thunderstorms. However, my buddies and I new that we would not be deterred from our mission. At 6:00 am we headed out, tired, yet excited about our upcoming endeavor. We were also a little anxious, as we would literally be diving into a new way of being.

Our drive south down I95 was smooth, though not as fast as I anticipated. I was surprised to see so many cars on the road at 6:30 am on a Saturday. It is summer, though, and the bikes and cargo loads I saw attached to vehicles let me know that we weren't the only ones taking advantage of this day to pursue adventure. And as we progressed down the road, I saw that the sun was burning off the morning mist and cloudiness, and it knew better than the weather people that this would be a glorius, beautiful day.

We road a while longer once we exited the main interstate, and then finally arrived at our intended destination, about 1.5 hours after leaving DC,... Skydive Virginia! (well, actually, there wasn't a sign. but we knew we were in the right place, though, cause there was a sign saying Louisa County Industrial Air Park and there were several planes around.)

By the time we had met our instructor and had our training class, the skies were clear of any signs of precipitation; sunny, blue and full of gorgeous white fluffy clouds. It was time to fly. I went up first.

It was also my first time in a plane that small. With no individual seats (except for the pilot's), at most 5 more could fit snugly in. We had a full load: two other trained divers, one cameraman (to film yours truly), and me and Mike (the instructor) who would be jumping with me -- a Tandem jump, two people attached using one parachute, suggested for beginners. "Take a few deep breaths." At 10,500 feet, the door opened and folks started leaving the plane!! LOL.

One. Two. Go!

Flyin'. High over the earth. Beautiful blue sky. Big fields of green. Flying. I'm flying. Free falling for 45 seconds. Arms and legs arched back against the sky. I'm flying. Pull the rip cord. Swoosh! Floating in the air. Flying. Breathing in the crisp cool air. Remove the goggles and take in the full view, unobstructed by the wing, engine or plane body that always gets in the way when I always choose the window seat. We play with the parachute, twirl to the right, twirl to the left. Feeling my arms direct my new found wings. Growing awareness of how to sail the winds of the sky. Twirling 360 degrees. Floating in the air. 6 more minutes of flying. I am flying. I am free.