Skydiving and Parachuting?!

What a busy schedule lately.. Been quite the adventure these past few weeks and I feel like it’s whizzing by.. I’m trying to take it all in and not take anything for granted, but let me tell you, my calendar is totally against me.. le sigh.. BUT I can’t say that I’m not having fun.. this particular blog post is going to be one that is hard to top.. daredevil wise.. I went skydiving for the very first time on the North Shore at the Pacific Skydiving Center!! 7am call time to film for Hawaii HI-Lights on a Sunday morning.. no sleep for this girl anymore!! So my friend Giselle and I headed up, coffee in hand (thanks girl!), and anticipated what lay ahead. Greeted by Guy Banal, President and Partner of the Pacific Skydiving Center, made us feel right at home.. At this point, I’m already getting nervous.. I’m so close to having to actually follow through with skydiving and then parachuting down to the ground… gulp.. double gulp.. The employees give me the option of the various jump heights.. What do I do?? Decide to pick the tallest one possible.. 15,000 feet! The highest you can go without needing oxygen.. Sweet.. I signed up for this willingly?!?


I got strapped into my gear so I could jump out of the plane tandem style.. My heart is still a flutter from the anticipation but I’m still focused on filming and making sure we are getting good shots. I chose to throw on the fluorescent green shirt so I would stand out among the clouds and blue sky.. made sense to me!


So then we took the long walk from the center to the flight line.. begin increased heart rate right about now..


I’m on the plane and we take off.. I’ve now crossed the point of no return.. I’m concentrating on not being nervous and actually having conversation while being filmed by Ian.. but it’s hard to focus on what’s really going on.. I’m thinking, I’m about to jump off this freaking plane and freefall then parachute to the ground.. FML. Everyone is talking to me and I’m trying to keep any conversation going for the sake of not being quiet on camera.. ALL I wanted to do was sit there in silence until I actually had to get off the plane.. that wasn’t happening.. again…FML..


So, my time was up, I was instructed to move forward to get ready for the jump.. So I followed instruction, moved up, stuck my head out the door and prayed for dear life and mouthed “OMG” to the camera.. WHAT was I about to do?! I think my brain blanked for about 3 seconds when we were at the door because "it just happened - we jumped".. With everything I had learned on what to do as I’m freefalling repeating in my head, I was oddly calm but freaked out at the same time.. I was waiting for the pat on my shoulder to extend my arms out…


BOOM!! Arms extended and face to the camera!! WHAT A RUSH!!!!! 15,000 feet and freefalling for a minute or so and it was insane!! We poked a hole through a cloud and it was so cold but so ultimately refreshing!!



Shortly after the cloud, we opened the parachute out and glided through the air.. I got this weird feeling right when the parachute shot open.. like I had to seriously catch my breath again at what was happening.. I had to take a few short and deep breaths to take it all in and not freak out.. My tandem instructor removed my goggles and loosened me up a little so I could hang.. he got crazy and decided to make some circles which was fine, until I started feeling nauseous, so he stopped.. Did not want to throw up in mid-air.. He let me take guide of the parachute for a bit swaying side to side.. I kept thinking, don’t let go, don’t let go..


I could see the ground nearing us at such a fast speed.. puts things into perspective how fast you’re actually moving! I grabbed hold of my legs as instructed so my legs wouldn’t drag on the ground and the tandem instructor would first land us, but when I grabbed my knees, they were soaked from the cloud mist, so I held on as best I could! The skydive employees were there to help us land safely on the ground..


Landed!! one of the camera guys, Sam was right there to catch it all.. I could barely speak, I just kept laughing (nervously and excitedly) thinking I JUST skydived!! I just accomplished something major!! To keep things girly.. I kept the fake lashes on..



…never lose the adrenaline feeling…