Remember the classic early 90s movie Point Break? If so, then your favourite scene is probably when Patrick Swayze skydives out of a plane and then Keanu Reeves jumps sans parachute to catch him. Mini Bear has always been a huge fan of that scene and recently got to experience it for herself--with a parachute, that is!
First she signed her life away and promised that neither she nor her family would sue, even after her death, be it natural or otherwise.
As she waited for her turn, she watched other skydivers land.
When it was time, Mini Bear put on her harness...
...and boarded a small twin engine plane with her tandem partner and a handful of other skydivers.
It took about 15 minutes to climb to 13,000 feet. Before we knew it, it was time to jump! The act of crouching in front of an open airplane door at 13,000 feet while (hopefully!) strapped to someone who has a parachute and the knowledge to successfully operate it was truly surreal. I don't know about Mini Bear but I wondered if I'd hesitate to jump. Turns out it was a non issue because immediately after asking, "Ready?," our tandem partner leaned forward just enough so that before you could think twice, you were hurtling towards the earth at 8,000 feet per minute! Violent gravity made my face peel back like Wile E. Coyote when he would fall off of a cliff chasing the Road Runner. Free falling over the ocean and rolling hills was unbelievably humbling.
At 5,000 feet, it was parachute time and suddenly we were flying through the sky with grace and control. We managed to smoothly land without clumsily tripping over each other. Being back on solid ground was an odd sensation and it took a good couple of hours for the adrenaline to finally subside.
Just look at that smile on her face!
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