fly

on saturday i was talking to taher and adnan about certain "sports", and skydiving came up- i couldn't remember some details about my skydiving experience, so i looked up my journalling later at home. here is what i found:

written on my 20th birthday

today, i jumped out of a plane at 15,000 feet. and i free-fell for 11,000 feet-- 67 seconds-- and i pulled the ripcord at about 4,500 feet. and it was absolutely amazing. there was so much wind in my face during the free fall, i could hardly breathe-- after a while, i lost sense of my body and felt somehow integrated with the air around me. i felt like the wind was going right through me, like i was air.

they teach you to lift your face up, so that breathing is easier, but i didn't want to do that, since then i'd miss the breathtaking view. the ground rushes up at you so incredibly fast, and it's a sight i'll never forget. in fact, i was so busy enjoying the scenery i forgot for a while about the altimeter-- the device that tells me how far up i am-- but i did succeed in pulling it right on time.
my instructor, andy, claims my arch formation was very good, but he's lying, because i know i forgot all about arches when i saw the ground coming up to meet me at 120 miles per hour...and when i pulled the ripcord and the parachute opened, i got to maneuver it right and left and do a couple of shmancy turns-- what a rush. i can't wipe this smile off my face. =)