Free Falling

Skydive Cairns, Australia 

December 18, 2014 

I wanted to live.
To stare death down and laugh without fear.
I wanted to feel.

So what better way is there to be aware of body and mind than jumping out of a plane 14,000 feet off the ground? Well... maybe yoga or meditation. But that's not the point! I craved an adrenaline rush that would push my spirit outside of the limitations we sometimes set of ourselves. I hungered for a challenge. A test of my own confidence and faith. I needed to fall.

In the troposphere there are no restrictions. No safety nets. No places to hide. There is only you.

Body and Mind, Free Falling.

And so I decided to fall, fast.

The other divers and I boarded the small plane with our experienced skydiver buddies. My diving mate was the oldest and most seasoned diver, having made a career of the sport over the last 20+ years. He was witty and provided words of comfort for me on the plane:

Skydiving Mate: "The worst that can happen is that your parachute doesn't open and you die."
Me: "Sounds like I'll get more free fall for my buck. I'm excited!" :D

The view from the plane as we flew up

Cracking jokes with my skydiving instructor as I eagerly awaited my jump

Before we knew it we were sky high (literally). Pairs started jumping out and falling hard like bowling balls being dropped from the Empire State building.

My buddy and I made our way to the open door of the plane. The surprisingly cool humid wind tasselled my hair and whipped my skin. I looked down... a long way down. I screamed, "I'm ready!"

We jumped.

My body, weightless. My mind, free of tangled thoughts. I felt every sensation. Every part of my body enveloped by a forceful wind demanding to be reckoned with.

My eyes wide open, branding images of creative beauty in my heart. The hills, green and inviting. The ocean, tranquil and placid. The vast distance, not far enough.

I was finally present. I had no worries of today or tomorrow.

Just me. My curiosity. One body. One mind.

Up

Sunrise in Cairns, Australia

December 17, 2014

Static Heights 

Clarity. Focus.

It was a morning spent in high resolution. A hot air balloon ride with my mother and random tourists from around the globe. What did I find up there? Was it a higher power? A deity amidst the clouds?

No. Definitely not. I found something more important.

I found clarity.
I found focus.

I stood, squished against the side of the basket. A woven imprint slowly tattooed itself on my left unclothed thigh as people piled in, struggling to find space. I took a deep breath. Found my inner peace and exhaled negativity. This was it. I was finally going to see Cairns, basked in the light of a rising sun from great heights. I was ready, I was excited... I was a little nervous.

What to do now? Ponder the meaning of life? What if I died? What would happen to my most trusted companion Maxximas (aka poopy face, aka my best friend - dog -)? My thought process harshly disrupted by a rough voice. The rope attaching us to the soil, untied. The basket lifted. And suddenly.. we were Up.

The view - Up - as we ascended

My breath quickened as I looked down at the ground escaping below me. My heart thumped to the beat of a million drums. My feet, glued. My legs quaked. My tummy, uneasy. And then, I looked Up.

I stared straight ahead at the sun on the horizon. My horizon. I was rising.

The air was crisp and my senses clear. I saw myself from above. I understood. Every moment, every struggle - got me here. It got me on top. Looking forward and looking out into a horizon of opportunity, a chance to change this world through empathy and influence. The view, rare. Seen only by those with conviction and a firm belief in self.

I found clarity.
I found focus.

I was Up.