Memories of free falling...

I sat on the beach today during my siesta with a good book, in it was a section where the author described the character’s feelings and fears when going skydiving for the first time. All of a sudden I sat up straight, unable to take my eyes away from the words and with a big smile on my face as I read the familiar feeling that I had when I went skydiving in Australia 6 years ago.

I remember it so well, it was such an impulse decision and I love the entire story of it. We arrived in Coffs Harbour in Australia at silly o’clock in the morning. I think this is the hostel we stayed in but I don’t really remember but it was fantastic. We got picked up from the coach station by one of the hostel workers who suggested that instead of taking us, me, my friend and two other people, straight to the hostel, we would go watch the last of the sun rise. Of course no one objected to this, here we were 4 or 5 people excited about what life and a new country had to offer, looking for every chance to experience something new, to feel that we were alive, living and experiencing everything life had to offer. Or perhaps, it was just that we were too tired to object... it was amazing and the best way to start the day even after spending several hours on a coach.

After a few hours sleep we had brunch at the hostel when the hostel owner sat down next to us, he did the normal lines of what’s you names, where are you from, how long are you here for and what are you planning to do’s? When we told him that we were planning on taking surfing lessons in Coffs Harbour he shook his head and said no, what you had to do is go skydiving, Coffs Harbour makes an amazing setting for it. We said well, we are planning on doing that in Byron Bay, he firmly told us that we can surf anywhere but skydiving you need to do in an amazing setting an in Coffs Harbour you end up landing on the beach. Two minutes later we said ok and he was on the phone with his friend arranging to come pick us up half an hour later. Jess and I looked at each other, inhaled the remaining of our sandwiches and went to get dressed. As we were watching the sun rise earlier that morning we had not expected to by skydiving that very same day.

We signed the release papers and went up, circled and circled before it was announced that it was too cloudy to jump and we would have to get back up the next day. So, the next day at 8am in the morning, we got picked up and this time there were no clouds in the sky. I remember sitting there moving towards the open door and seeing my friend fall out and then just disappear within seconds – that freaked me out more than anything, the adrenaline started to pump and just thought what an absolute idiot I was that was about to jump out of a plan. But there I was sitting on the edge, trying (but desperately failing) to put on a brave smile for the camera. And off we went, spinning around in the air until we stabilised and then the smile was no longer forced and my scream was no longer one of fear but of absolute joy (also by screaming it helps your breathing when you are free falling). So I screamed and the earth got closer and closer and I kept thinking shouldn’t he be pulling the parachute soon?  As it was pulled we got janked back up in the air and to be honest, free falling was such a rush and just a adrenaline kick that that the parachute just felt like a smooth, relaxing “catching my breath” moment. We landed on the beach, got given a bottle of water and asked how we felt, the only thing I could say was amazing. I was literally lost for words, it was one of the best feelings ever, which is why, a year later I did it again in New Zealand, but that is another story for another day.

Source: http://s1.at.atcdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/069.-Coffs-Harbour-from-the-air-Wayne-McLachlan.jpg

Anyhow, it was amazing, wonderful and such a rush of adrenaline. Maybe one day I will share with you the movie from my jump but for now just know that everyone that has seen the movie has laughed until they cried and so have I, as I am jumping out the plane I look petrified which is then followed by my face flapping about as we are free falling back towards earth. I once again sit here with a big smile on my face and have to say that, the period in my life when I went backpacking in Australia might just have been the best in my life, the freedom, the feeling of not having to worry about anything, of literally taking one day at a time, only booking a hostel 2-3 days in advance, that was wonderful in a way that I am not sure can truly be understood unless you have experienced it yourself. So, what I suppose I am trying to say is – go explore, travel the world, learn new things and meet new people, see new cultures and just live, enjoy life and the world that we live in because it is truly beautiful!