I Feel the Need. The Need For Speed.

Ever since I was a teenager I  can always remember always saying, "When I lose the weight, I'm gonna go skydiving."

I would make plans in my head about when that day would be.

I would think about how much fun it would be.

What a rush it would be!

Well, yes.

It happened.

Finally.

I went skydiving last weekend.

Before heading to the airport, we stopped off for a Mexican lunch.  Everyone enjoyed large yummy platters of chimichangas and XL burritos and rice and beans.... and other tasty foods that I totally wanted too.  But I had a chicken taco with no sides of anything yummy. I couldn't help and wonder quietly in my head as we were eating, would all that food stay down in our bellies with a jump out of an airplane?

Anywhoozle, onwards to the airport!

Who needs luck?

After signing our lives away via a six page liability waiver, we geared up for the big show.  

We picked out really awesome flying squirrel outfits.  I chose this get-up.  It was either a patriotic extravaganza or a circa 1986 fluorescent yellow with purple accents. I felt like it was a safe bet.

Meet Dave.
He was my BFF for the next hour.

Wait, what does your shirt say about hesitation?

So, what your saying is that we're
going to jump out of an airplane?

Cheezy wave!

Heavin' my ass up into the plane.

Not the most reassuring or comforting of signs.

Off into the sky. Can you see me waving?

This is my totally freaked out on-the-inside face.

I'm going to pretend that I'm not about to sh*t my pants, so I'll just smile.

I am going to stop the photo montage right here for a minute.

How I was feeling as we took off and made our way to 10,000 feet up could be summed up in one word: ANXIETY.  

Extreme anxiety.  Almost dream like too.  

I kept thinking: "Is this really about to happen?" and "Am I really in a teeny tiny airplane over BFE Oregon about to jump out of an airplane?"

I have only felt this extreme level of anxiety once before in my entire life.  

That would be October 20, 2009 at about 6am.  

Yep, that was the morning of my Lap-Band surgery. Multiple nurses tried and couldn't get the IV for the happy/relax meds started before I got wheeled down to the operating room.  

SO i took that ride fully awake and aware. I can vividly remember that long ride down the hallways and then being put onto the O.R. table.

To this day, I'm still kickin' myself for not documenting my surgery day experience like many of you have done.

Anywhoozle, it was time for me, Dave, and my chicken taco to JUMP!

Shar Pei doggy face.  Bugs gettin' caught up in my teeth.  Close your mouth!

Effin' AMAZING! So fun!

Pullin' the cord for the parachute!

Dave let me drive.  A very smart man.

A soft landing in a grassy field.

We survived.

Chicken taco stayed DOWN, yet hair is now UP.

It was so quick.

Over before it practically began.

But so very fun.

I am so happy that I did it and had the opportunity.

Would I do it again?

Perhaps.

It was $260 for the experience. For that price, the amount of fun was LARGE, yet very, very short.  That's A LOT of money to spend for such a quick experience. I can easily swing an entire weekend in Vegas for that kind of money.

One last thing about adrenaline.

You know, adrenaline...that hormone that one gets a lot of from an extreme experience?  It's released when in a "fight or flight" situation.

Adrenaline makes you DAMN hungry.

Just two hours after eating huge Mexican meals, everyone in the group was STARVING. Me included.  And with my band at it's current level of restriction perfection. Crazy indeed!

Watch out for that adrenaline, it sneaks up on ya.