How It Feels to Touch the Clouds

Growing up, have you ever wondered what it feels like to fly? Or what it feels like to touch a cloud? I did, but I was also scared of heights. I refused to ride in an airplane and was even terrified to ride roller coasters. So how did I become one of these crazy people that jump out of airplanes, you ask? Well, sit back and enjoy my tale.

It all started when I met my husband, who had already 300 plus jumps when I met him. He asked me if I would ever go skydiving and I would always tell him “never!” Months and months went by as I would watch him from the ground, staring up at little colorful specks popping up in the sky as people’s parachutes opened. It wasn’t until I had a lucid dream one night that changed my whole perspective on skydiving. The dream felt so real; my husband and I were in the door of the airplane, looking down at the clouds and I could feel the wind blowing in my face. We both jumped out, without parachutes might I add. It was peaceful; instead of falling it felt as if we were floating in the air in slow motion. For landing, we gracefully touched the ground. I woke up thinking, “Hmm, I’ll give it a shot,” even though I knew the dream was highly unrealistic.

The next week I scheduled my tandem at Skydive Palatka. I watched the introduction to skydiving video, signed my life away, and got suited up to go into the airplane. The ride up was the scariest moment of my life; my heart was beating so fast I thought it would jump out of my chest. I started feeling nauseous as well. A skydiving plane ride ascends faster than a normal ride. Finally, we reached our altitude of 13,500 feet, the light on the door turned red, and skydivers opened up the door. A huge rush of wind hit me and took my breath away. I waited in anticipation as people started spotting before jumping out. The light turned green, time to jump. The jumpers made a “whoosh!” sound as they jumped out and fell beneath the clouds. Now it was just my tandem master and I left on the plane. We scooted up to the door and my legs were hanging out. “1! 2! 3!” My tandem master yelled and we rolled out, doing at least three front flips out of the plane. Once we hit terminal velocity, I started having the time of my life. You can’t hear anything but the wind, taking your mind off of everything but what’s happening right now. The world is underneath you, you left everything that was bothering you, and nothing matters right now but having a blast. We went through a cloud.I felt a refreshing mist hit me from the water vapor. I thought I would never touch a cloud. I felt a jerk and I whipped forward. I thought for a second I was going to die, but it was just my tandem master’s parachute opening. Then, all of a sudden, everything was slow and peaceful. I could hear the parachute flapping and the soft noise of the wind. I got a better look at the ground beneath me. It really gives you a better perspective on life.

Now, I am currently an A licensed skydiver. My husband and I make jumps almost every weekend. It is a huge stress reliever in my life, just jumping into that wonderful blank space, feeling like you’re on top of the world. The sound of the wind is harmonic, and the feeling of free fall is like a drug. Being able to steer your own parachute and land successfully makes me feel like I can accomplish anything. Some people may feel like skydiving is a death sentence. Statistically speaking, it is more likely for you to get killed on the way to the drop zone than for you to die jumping out of an airplane. The gear has become extremely safe, and USPA instructors and coaches are there for your safety.

If you are currently a skydiver, I hope you enjoyed this. If you have never been, I highly recommend it. Take some risks, live life, forget about the world for a little bit, and jump out of an airplane.