I believe it is fair to say that I don’t just like but rather live for challenges. Many people believe that I am not afraid of anything, at least not the kind of things others are afraid of. I feel irrational fear the way anyone else does. But I love the feeling of pride I experience when overcoming that fear. Why am I talking about fear? Well, this day, the first of 2 life-changing days that I am about to share with you, was the day, I discovered this about myself. Little did I know that it would become a Skydiving Adventure which would form a transformative connection.

The Initial Spark: A Beachside Revelation and the Birth of an Adventure

It all began a few weeks prior while lying on the beach in Surfers Paradise, Australia. I was watching the skydivers slowly float through the sky and descent toward the beach. In that moment I just thought what a great feeling it would be to overcome the fear and jump out of a perfectly good plane. I know most people start their journey of self-discovery with something a little less extreme. But I have never been a person who does things by half measures.

At that moment it was a thought. I don’t think I really believed that I would go through with it. I should have known better, but this was all new back then. Today I know that no matter how small the seed may be, once I have started a thought process, it will eventually happen. It could be tomorrow or in a few years’ time, but it is always a question of when and not if. A few weeks later I was standing outside the hostel in Cairns at 4 am, waiting for the shuttle to pick me up and drive me down the coast to Mission Beach. Where the skydiving company Jump the Beach could be found.

Serendipitous Connections: Shared Nerves, Priceless Wisdom, and Unforgettable Bonds

There were a few of us in the van that day. Everyone was silent, and you could feel the nervous tension we all shared although we had never met. Once we arrived at the centre we had to choose the height from which we would jump. Needless to say the higher the jump the higher the price. I was unsure of what to do when a young girl, who had also travelled down from Cairns, said something which I have never forgotten. A little wisdom which has proven to be true for that day, as well as many others life has thrown at me since. Her statement was, “A few years from now you will not remember what you paid but you will always remember the experience.” The people who touch your life in the most profound way often come out of nowhere just like that day.

Her name is Jenny. All these years later the memory of the 2 days we spent together is one I treasure the most. 

With the payment and the disclaimer out of the way, it was time for our sexy overalls and the 10-minute instruction on how to correctly fall out of the plane. We were then ushered onto said plane, the lead performer of this story who doesn’t receive the attention he deserves. We were partnered up with the highly experienced tandem jumping masters who well and truly held our lives in their hands. Not forget those crazy individuals who jumped with us wearing a camera on their helmets. The photos they took would make sure that we would never forget this moment. As if that were even possible.

Defying Gravity: The Thrill, Laughter, and Surreal Freedom of the Jump

We took off and watched the height gauge on our parachute rise slowly! Soon we were joking and laughing. Partly due to the humour of our experienced guardians. Partly because our nerves were so on edge that we would have giggled about anything. Suddenly it was time to go. Before I could even think I was at the door of the plane then free-falling toward the deep blue ocean. At first, it was impossible to tell what was up and what was down. The ocean and the sky were reflecting each other perfectly. It is true what they say, it doesn’t really feel like falling it feels like flying. It is only the immense pressure of the air against your body that indicates the speed at which gravity is pulling you toward earth, like a giant magnet.

My tandem partner told me to wave at the camera. It took all my strength just to move my arm from the elegant dancer-trained v they had naturally taken. Then the parachute opened. There was no huge pull or sudden deceleration as I had expected, it simply slowed our descent and the high pressure turned into a gentle breeze. We circled around above Green Island, and I tried very hard to enjoy the view. The effect of the adrenaline and the lack of breakfast had made me feel very lightheaded. Finally, the landing, the part I had been most worried about. But it was a perfectly soft landing on the sand of this magnificent beach in paradise.

I was the first to jump, so we now watched the others slowly float down and land on various parts of the beach. We had done it, we had all overcome our primal fear and had jumped out of a plane. The adrenalin rush and pride felt like they would make your entire body combust. 

From Skydiving Highs to Grounded Reflections: Navigating the Emotions of Return

But the problem with such extreme highs is that you need to find a way to calm down and return to a normal state of being. My plan had been to head back to Cairns straight after the jump. But how could I get back into a van after that? Jenny was planning on staying the night and white water rafting the Tully River the next day. So, without much deliberation, I decided to stay and join her.

We had already travelled all the way from Cairns to Mission Beach, signed our lives away and jumped out of a plane. Yet the day had only just begun. The next stop was the hostel we would be staying at, we showered and headed out to find some breakfast. We also got our photos developed. Yes, it is literally that long ago that it was an actual film and not a memory card. Of course, since I had not planned on staying I didn’t have much with me. Only the standard Australian back-packing must-haves: a bikini or two some shorts and flip-flops. Jenny didn’t even think twice about sharing everything with me.

Unbreakable Bonds: Unexpected Connections and Transformative Journeys

I had only met this girl a few hours prior, but I felt a connection to her. As though we had known each other for many lifetimes. Perhaps that is true, and she is a soulmate of sorts. Perhaps doing crazy things together creates a special bond. Jenny taught me about generosity and that it is ok to let someone, even a complete stranger see the real and complete you. The time I spent with her was one of the first times in my life that I felt like I could relax. I could just be myself without the fear of judgment or disapproving stares. But our time together wasn’t over just yet. We would still experience two, for me life-changing adventures together.