The Day I Fell

For a few birthdays now I've been waiting to get the gift of falling. Skydiving, it's something I've always wanted to do. So for my 18th, which is when you are legally allowed to jump, I got my ticket! It was out at the Flying V Ranch, falling from 13000 feet. The thought of falling that far was absolutely crazy. The day came and we were driving out to the site, with all these thoughts rushing through my head of what might happen and what I will see. It was October and the weather could not have been more perfect. A sunny, cloudless sky with temperatures in the 60's. Pulling into the gravel parking lot, where I would shortly sign my life away to a small plane, a professional stranger and a parachute. After I gave my consent to jump, me and another jumper were briefed with a video that was pre-made, explaining the importance of falling position and altitude gauges. I then waited for maybe 15 minutes while my stomach wrenched waiting for people before me to fall from the same altitude. They walked past me, and I overheard them talking about how amazing and awesome it was to do that; which made me very excited! I was then taken into a room suited up with my harness and my altimeter. The next thing I know we are taking off from the grass field, and headed to our drop height of 13,000 ft. After a little while of watching the ground disappeared below me, it was time to get cinched to my jump master. Only tandem jumps are allowed for your first time. So, we are strapped together with the jumpmaster behind me, my back to his front. As we began to fly over the building we took off from, we opened the side panel of the plane, crab walking to the edge. I am now no longer in the plane. My instructor, gave the final go. We rocked forward, back and launched. As we began falling we flipped and I saw the plane suspended in the air as we rotated back to face the earth. He reached his hand around to me signalling for me to arch my back more. Getting into final position, you can't help but look around in shock that you are now falling helplessly. It is the absolutely the most amazing feeling you will ever feel. Looking out I can see a few different farms in the distance, as well as the nuclear power plant in the distance. After the 60 second fall we were now at 5000 ft, I was too busy looking around to pull the cord for the parachute though I was just about to reach for it as the jumpmaster pulled it just before I did. The jolt of the parachute opening was the signal that I was now flying in a sense. He showed me how to turn and work the straps to turn chute and spin around. The feeling of nearly spinning out of control was very surreal. As we approached the landing site, we had one last position that we had to nail in order to not get hurt, which I executed perfectly! Also, which sadly, just ended the best experience of my life!