There have been very few times in my life when my mind felt completely blank and I was able to live in the moment. My first skydiving experience last weekend may have been the closest I’ve ever gotten.
Last Saturday, a group of Acorn Media DVD developers: Lindsay, Anna, and I drove the hour and a half from Silver Spring, MD to Warrenton Airfield in Virginia for our first skydiving experience. After arriving at the airfield and literally signing our lives away, we were each introduced to our tandem instructors who gave us a few minutes of “training” — where to put our hands during the jump, how to arch our bodies backwards “like a banana,” and my favorite piece of advice: “if you have to throw up, do it inside your shirt so it doesn’t obscure your instructor’s vision.”
Before we knew it, it was time to board the plane, and there we were harnessed to our instructors. The door opened. We could hear the noise of the engine and the cold November wind. As I watched each pair jump out of the plane, I was astonished by how quickly they became just a small dot on the landscape. I stood in the door, my heart beating in my head. I assumed the “banana” position they taught us, and felt my instructor nudge us out of the plane.
We had about 30 seconds of freefall which felt like forever and no time at all. It’s difficult for me to describe the feeling because there’s really nothing I can compare it to. After the initial shock of leaving the plane, it didn’t quite feel like the falling sensation I expected. I could feel the air rushing past me, though it also felt as though the air was holding me up. What surprised me the most was my state of mind; It wasn’t until later that I realized that I hadn’t thought about anything – I was just in the moment. I didn’t even have time to panic or feel afraid.
Towards the end of the freefall, I became aware that my face was being pulled back by the force of falling 120 mph. As soon as I started to feel uncomfortable, my instructor gave the signal (a few taps on the shoulder as it was too loud to talk) to hold out my arms so he could pull the parachute. I felt a gentle pull upwards, a wave of relief, and then quiet.
When the adrenaline wore off a little, I could admire the beautiful northern Virginia landscape in fall colors. My instructor taught me how to steer the parachute, and after a few minutes of floating bliss, we landed back on the airfield, sliding to safety on our bottoms. As much as I enjoyed the freefall and parachuting experience, I’ve never been happier to be back on the ground.
The entire experience from boarding to landing lasted only about 15 minutes, but it gave me a whole new perspective on life. Would I do it again? Probably. Would I recommend it? Definitely!
Judy Sellner 
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