Skydive Newport

There's nothing like jumping out of a plane to help you get over the break-up blues!  Sure, I had always said that skydiving was on my bucket list but never did I think that it would actually happen - at least not any time soon - or that I would be jumping out of a plane to get over a boy, especially one that I wasn't even dating!  But hey, we've all been there. If my friend needed a distraction to forget about guy troubles, who am I to let her down by not joining her in her crazy idea?

I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. For days before we went, I was consumed with anxiety and felt like I was walking around in a daze.  Even after signing all the paperwork and watching the instruction video, it just didn't seem real to me. Thankfully, the instructors at Skydive Newport were awesome!  They calmly answered all my questions about how the parachutes work - and there were a lot of them. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't nuts handing my life over to some string and a cloth!

After taking off and climbing for about ten minutes, everything suddenly became very real. Leaning out of a plane at 10,000 feet will do that to you!  Fortunately, I didn't have much time to ponder my situation...the door opened, Rich my jump instructor, turned me to the side, and out we went, somersaulting out into the blue yonder.  

Typically you free fall for about 40 seconds before the shoot opens.  Before jumping, I envisioned that 40 seconds feeling like hours of terror, but I am happy to report that wasn't the case at all.  I laughed my whole way down...it was a blast! The views from Block Island to Boston were unbelievable. They were so distracting that I didn't even think about the parachute not opening. Complete euphoria!  I actually wish the free fall had lasted even longer, but I must admit, it was calming after the shoot opened and the adrenaline died down.  We fell slowly for another 5-10 minutes while Rich let me steer the parachute and then guided us toward the airport to land.

Though the entire experience lasted less than half an hour, it was one of the best half hours I've ever spent in my life. I can't believe I did it but it was totally exhilarating. If you are in Rhode Island any time soon, consider skydiving with Skydive Newport.  As they say, the sky's the limit, so test yours!  You wont regret it! 

You can view my entire experience here.