Wheeeeeeee!

I went skydiving with a friend a few days ago.  I'd wanted to do it many many years ago and when this opportunity came up I couldn't pass on it.  Of course, being an on again, off again sissy-pants, I needed company and only one person took me up on the offer.

The teeny weeny plane that took us and our tandem guys up could ONLY fit the four of us and the pilot.  My tandem instructor, Joe, took pictures throughout.

My friend went first, the little plane door opened, she and her tandem instructor moved to the doorway for a second and then it seemed he pushed her out with his body.  If she wanted to change her mind it was too late!

the little window of the little plane we jumped out of... taken by instructor Joe

Whoa Nelly! When it was my turn, just as my friend, at the door there was no turning back... and out we went! 

For the first few seconds I couldn't breathe with the air rushing at my face.  It felt like that for a long minute but it was probably a lot shorter.  Then I forgot the instructions I'd gotten on the ground to do the banana (arch back, legs up and back, head back, arms raised up at right angles).  To be fair I arched the back and raised the legs but held firmly to the straps I was hanging on to before we jumped.

In any case, instructor Joe opened the chute and all was well. 

I cannot fully explain the feeling of being up in the air, floating to the ground, nothing between me and the atmosphere and seeing all around, the green of trees and bodies of water.  So beautiful!

Mr Tat whom I dragged out to see me jump (and who was safely on the ground, where he's happy to be) was there taking pictures and probably breathing a sigh of relief that nothing negative happened. 

Eaaaarly the next morning on the highway going home from the big city with two other friends, we had a very near miss with a car stalled in our lane around a curve and a man behind it waving a flashlight.  My friend swerved to miss him and his car but apparently the driver behind us wasn't so lucky, we heard a crash right after we moved out of the way.  I didn't hear cries of pain so I HOPE the man is OK, as well as anyone who was involved in that accident. 

That event did make me think how ironic it would have been if in less than 24 hours of jumping from a plane I'd then be hurt or dead from a car accident.  Life seems very random.