Skydiving at Mission Beach in Cairns

When first coming to Australia, I kept hearing about skydiving and how Australia was the place to experience it. I never took it into consideration until my friends here asked me if I would skydive in Cairns during our Spring Break with them. I am madly afraid of heights, but I thought partaking in skydiving was much more likely than bungee jumping. I had never heard one negative comment on skydiving, so I signed up for the activity. I was quite nervous the day of, but the nerves were negated by my excitement, so I my mood kept swinging back and forth--my mind didn't know what to think. On the airplane ride up to 14,000 feet, it was all very surreal. I could not believe I was partaking in such an act. Reality did not hit me until the door swung open, and the first skydiver, Kristine, was gone in a flash. When it was my turn, my tandem master, Bruce, who has dived over 11,000 times, ordered me to “step into his office.” As I took my place at the edge of the airplane, Bruce pushed us off, and it was instant euphoria from then on. I didn’t have a chance to think, let alone a chance to be scared. As we were free falling, all I could scream were profanities (happy profanities). The view was absolutely unbelievable and the silence in the sky was amazing. The whole time I kept thinking that I didn't want this experience to end. When Bruce released the parachute, he let me steer, which was phenomenal. We also got to fly into a large cloud! Skydiving was the best thing I have ever done in my life, hands down.

Not scared at all as I was getting geared up.

Bruce teaching me the ways of diving correctly.

Group photo prior to diving!

Group photo outside the plane.

In Bruce's office.

Unreal euphoria at this point.

Thumbs up!

Glorious view from above.

At this point, the eerie silence was perfect.