“In Most Countries Getting This High Is Illegal!” -Nzone

Still feeling the excitement from December 2011

What were we thinking? Were we truly about to jump out of plane perfectly capable of delivering us to the earth safely, from fifteen thousand feet followed by a sixty second free fall at one hundred and twenty-five miles per hour? Without hesitation we answered the question of insanity in our minds, “Yes. Yes we were.” It was an experience we longed for since initially planning our travels, and what better place to put our lives in the hands of another than Queenstown, New Zealand. We had previously become spoiled by the scenery of a diverse country exploding with beauty, but the view we were about to encounter was a far cry from peering through the windows of our campervan rental providing us the freedom of exploring the country nearly boundary free.

Of course we couldn’t complain, housing ourselves in the sanctity and privacy of such a comfortable mobile home. Our campervan provided the basic necessities…a place to sleep, a small make-shift kitchen, and even the perfect place to shower the “important parts” when feeling too frugal to pay for a $5 shower at a camp ground. As such was our one luxury, plugging our camper van in at a more expensive site while enjoying a hot shower and running water instead of an outhouse for relief. I can’t say I’ve ever held a turtle-heading turd so hard in my life as striving to avoid the frigid air outside in the middle of the night during shoulder season in New Zealand (not quite freezing, but far from warm!).

We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate being on the road for ten consecutive months, relying on only what we could carry to continue supporting us. I won’t soon forget that fateful day, handing over sufficient funds at the woman behind the counter to secure our position later that afternoon. With a few hours to spend prior to our departure, we were left wandering around the quaint town dwelling on our heightening anxiety. Repeatedly we searched for a similar reaction in on another’s eyes while walking around the lake or attempting to distract ourselves in small gift shops. Not a single glance went unnoticed with a smirk of excitement, sprinkled with a bit of nervousness.

Eventually…the time had come. We were climbing into the van charged with transporting us to the drop zone. Surprisingly, as we approached the sight of tiny parachutes falling slowly from the sky above, the excitement became overwhelming. I was no longer scared of the insane decision we’d made. In fact, I could scarcely wait for the moment I was falling lifelessly to the earth from nearly three miles. The van came to a gentle halt, allowing our small group to pile out into the waiting area complete with tables to rest at while witnessing others plummeting down from the clouds before our own opportunities grew nearer.

Each chute opening in the sky raised my excitement, rendering me nearly incapable of remaining still until our group was welcomed into the building. We stepped into a large open area, observing the previous skydiving instructors re-packing their parachutes with absolute precision. Sturdy harness were strapped tight to our bodies while small caps covered our heads and snapped under our chins. Completing our runway ready look were the large goggles covering our eyes, failing to distract me from the reality that the harness gripping my inner thighs left little room for and important part of my anatomy. Although I must admit, sacrificing a bit of comfort, regardless of the area, seemed small in comparison to ignoring any amount of safety.

Our tandem jumping partners introduced themselves briefly before leading us out the large overhead door to where the plane awaited. We began crawling in single file, sitting between one another’s legs as we lined up in two rows on the floor of the plane. Never before had been so willing to sit in another man’s crotch! With the door securely fastened, the engine of the plane roared with power, effortlessly lifting us from the ground as we began our ascent. Slowly we climbed, circling the ground below. Our previous resting post began shrinking quickly until the first wave of divers began heaving themselves from the side of the aircraft.

Having chosen the highest possible altitude to jump from, we were at the back of the plane waiting patiently for those less adventurous to leap from a lesser height. My instructor tapped my shoulder, motioning me to move towards the back of the plane. Our legs dandled from the floor edge of the door as I felt my heart begin to race in response to the sound of his voice confirming my readiness. I nodded eagerly, awaiting our departure. In an instant he had freed us from the relative safety of the plane, forcing us to race down towards the earth at breakneck speed. The instant arrival of panic prevented me from screaming…forcing me to swallow the lump building in my throat.

The rising sensation of my stomach entering my throat nearly suppressed my scream of absolute delight as my adrenaline surged through my veins. My cheeks fluttered in the wind as I embraced the heightened awareness off all my senses, savoring every second of the intense free fall. The young man strapped to my back asked my permission to enhance the ride. Without hesitation I agreed with full exuberance. We began spinning relentlessly in rapid succession, first clockwise and then the opposite direction, much to my amusement. His perfectly formed hands and legs allowed us to level our position before releasing the thin material avoiding certain death, much to the relief of my constricted sphincter.

Our parachute successfully burst into position, halting our fall with commanding force. Within seconds of its release we were drifting slowly above the earth with a true bird’s eye view, floating in the breeze as I struggled to find words capable of explaining the breathtaking views surrounding me. There was little to do other than fully appreciate the invaluable time spent gliding safely to the same grass we had walked over prior to our jump. I nearly tackled the man responsible for the greatest rush of my life, thanking him from the bottom of my racing heart for an experience I would never take for granted. My beloved landed briefly after us with a smile just is great as mine, sharing in the same outward excitement as we captured the moment with our camera before removing our suits. Our leap of faith proved to be a celebration for the ages.