June 29th, 2010 | 4 comments | Skydiving

Patience is something that I’ve been working on, but continue to battle with on a daily basis.

Except for as it pertains to skydiving.

By nature, it is kind of a waiting game with skydiving. Just because it’s a crystal clear blue sky doesn’t mean that I can go play in it. There are a lot of factors beyond that. Winds and clouds are keeping me on the ground. And I’m fine with it, really. I’ve made a conscious decision that I’d rather be sitting on a picnic table at the drop zone than on my couch at home. If I had stuff to take care of, I could understand getting frustrated after driving all that way to not jump out of a plane. The culture has totally swallowed me whole (in a good way) and it’s not just about jumping out of planes. That being said, I’m totally okay with waiting for pristine skydiving conditions, because as 14 people told me in a span of 30 minutes, I’d rather be on the ground wishing I was in the sky, than in the sky wishing I was on the ground.

It took me three tries to get through level four of AFF. Which, after the first attempt last weekend, I was crazy pissed off at myself for not being able to nail it. I’m determined like that and I tell you what, it’s a blessing and a curse. I’m slowly getting over the whole “I want every jump to be perfection” thing. As my instructor is quick to point out (and I’m quick to forget) I’m new. I’m learning. I landed safely. All is well. Sure there are things I can work on, but at the end of the day, I saved my own life and that’s a win.

So Saturday rolls around and it’s all kinds of gross outside. While waiting for the green light to get up in the air, I learned how to pack, which was really, really exhausting. Mad love to the guys that are staff packers… wow. Later that afternoon I finally get all geared up for my third (and hopefully last) jump for level four. I was jumping with a different rig with a different instructor than I had been training with so I was definitely a bit on the nervous side. Not for the jump itself, but just at the thought that if I keep screwing up these levels, this training is going to get wicked expensive, really fast.

I got a little spooked in the plane when a fellow student started giving me advice. And poking around at my gear. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he was looking at my stuff and I’m most definitely open to any and all advice when it comes to jumping, but not when we’re climbing to altitude and not when I’m trying to run through how to not screw up this dive. But I passed level four – so that rocks.

Little did I know, the next dive that day would be my best dive since I did my first tandem in 2005. I had been stomping around the hangar after level four, irritated at some of my mistakes but ready to get up and get back in the air. I took a break, grabbed some water and took some deep breaths before getting on the plane. I was ready to fix my mistakes from the last jump and really get stable and rock the crap out of this jump. And I did.

I figured it out. Now, was the jump perfect? No. But I was rocking this big goofy grin right before pull time because I knew that I had done the best jump I had done so far. Remember how I said when I first started that the adrenaline rush is different now? Well this jump was like my first. Once I landed, I was jumping up and down and I couldn’t stop smiling and it was amazing. THAT is what it’s all about.

blue skies!

Giggly during freefall. WEEEE!

So I ended Saturday on a good note. I didn’t want to wear myself out like I had the previous Sunday so I stopped after two jumps and I went into the evening and the next day totally floored to get through levels six and seven.

Sunday was one big weather hold. But, I did get my water training in for when I’m ready for my B License, so that rocks. And I was able to view a demo jump from the plane, as opposed to on the ground.

Now THAT'S a sunset.

So, up next: leave work on Friday and crank out some jumpity jumps! Our office closes early on Friday and we’re closed on Monday, so I’m hoping to get through a good chunk of my 25 jumps before my A License. What were you up to this weekend?