"Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane..."

It’s the kind of thing you only do once in life, and Julie, Becky and I decided to make Saturday, June 3, 2006, our one day to do it: Skydiving.

I didn’t have time to think about it. Maybe my week was too busy. Maybe I was smart enough not to think about it. Maybe I had other things on my mind. Who knows?! All I know is that I didn’t really think about it. I didn’t really think about what it would be like to jump out of an airplane 12,000-feet above the ground.

And I’m glad that I didn’t. It was even more incredible than I could have ever fathomed…

We met the guys to which we’d be attached falling through the air that morning, were paired up with photographers, and headed out to the runway, which was pretty much a field. We climbed up into the airplane, and as the engine started, one of the guys said, “Hear that? It’s the sound of no refund!”

And we were off.

I finally started thinking about it. The good thing is that it only took minutes to get up to altitude, and before I knew it, five single jumpers ahead of us were gone. I was being pushed up the long bench and toward the door.

How I ended up flipping in the sky is a blur. One second we were in the airplane, the next we were free falling. The free fall lasted about 45 seconds. I couldn’t hear myself above the wind, but according to the photographer, no one had ever screamed longer or louder. Opps!

It was AMAZING!

There really are no words to describe the feeling of falling through the air. The ground was so far away, it wasn’t scary…and it just doesn’t feel like you’re falling. It’s weird. It’s fast. It’s windy. It’s awesome.

Skydiving in Colorado was beyond gorgeous. One quick jerk, the parachute was open, and we were floating. Again, there was no falling feeling – it was surreal. It was almost as if we were standing in the sky. The mountains could not have been more perfect. It was a clear morning, and you could see Rocky Mountain National Park, Long’s Peak, the Flatirons – everything. It was truly beyond words.

The landing felt like jumping off a 1-2 foot step. It was easy. It was a crazy adrenaline rush like nothing ever before…and probably nothing ever again will be like it.

Jumping with Becky and Julie was pretty sweet. It’s a memory meant to be shared with good friends...