Jumping out of an Airplane

Saying Yes to adventure and fun with friends found me jumping out of an airplane. An activity I had never thought about, let alone desired enough to put on my bucket list. Is it on your bucket list? This is a case story of how adventures build on adventures!

Backstory to Jumping Out of an Airplane

My best friend from high school has a June birthday. Mine is in November. A Wednesday in the May before our big birthday (the half centennial one) she tells me she has this Groupon for skydiving. Somewhere between multitasking and not closely paying attention but completely trusting her, I thought I had said yes to one of those indoor vertical wind tunnels.

When I received the confirmation email for that stated the details for  TANDOM SKYDIVING…! Well. Let’s just say I felt a huge rush of fear and excitement flow through me for days. Like jittery nerves and talking to much fear. Disbelief that I would do such a scary thing. And the event was over 2 months away. I knew there was no backing out, I had promised to go on a big adventure with my best friends.

Fear of jumping off ledges

I don’t know where my fear of jumping off ledges started. My biological father has a fear of heights, but I knew from when I went parasailing during a trip after college, that his fear didn’t become my fear. On my honeymoon in Australia (back in 1990) was the first time I had to confront this fear. We were white water rafting, and during the lunch break people were swinging from a rope into the river. When it was my turn, I stood on that rock, holding the rope too tightly, and fear kept me from moving.  Until I finally let go of the rope, scrambled down the rocks and back to the safety of the path.

About ten years ago, my sons and I were up in Cape Cod. There’s a nearby bridge over a creek that at high tide people jump or dive off of it into the cold depths of the water streaming into the ocean. My boys loved it. I went along to watch.

While there, they dared me! I can still feel the bumpy cement wall that I gripped as I tried to convince myself it was ok to jump in the water. How I finally did it, I don’t know (my sons swear they had to push me), but down I went. With the wind rushing by I loved the feeling of flowing in the air. The splash was not much different than a regular cannon ball splash (I’m not a diver). I felt such a rush, I went to try again.

Standing on that bridge ledge again, even with proof I’d be ok, I stood there digging my hands into the stone-hard wall. I remember thinking to myself, if I can let go of this wall, I can let go of a bad romance I had been dealing with at the time.  Jumping off was great, but I couldn’t put myself through it more than twice. I was elated that I had been able to conquer that ledge and my fear.

jumping off ledges

Liam goes inverted over Scorton Creek.
Staff photo by David Colantuono

Jumping off the Trapeze Ledge

The next year (I remember the date—10/10/10) I treated my sons to trapeze lessons in Manhattan (TSNY). I didn’t think it was going to be an issue. Bravely, I climbed up the high ladder, and looked over the view of the Hudson River. I grabbed onto the trapeze fly bar and listened to the coach’s instructions.

But my body froze. He counted to three probably more than a dozen times. I tried my yoga breathing. I tried squeezing my eyes shut. Finally a second coach came up to help. Honestly, by that time my brain had shut down and I don’t recall what they did to relax me enough to jump off that ledge. But I did! Swinging and flipping to hang by my knees felt so…amazing. So free. I discovered it wasn’t hard to let go and fall into the safety netting (which really did feel safe, despite all it’s spaces and bounciness). As I crawled to the edge, my arms shaking, the trapeze guide at the edge said something that felt deeply profound: “Let Go. Let God.”

A life lesson learned during a fun adventure! Sometimes you have to physically do something different to connect with the meaning of having faith in a power bigger than you.

jumping off the trapeze

taking chances, learning to fly

This is how we celebrate 50

Fast forward to the day my daring girlfriends and I are to jump out of the plane. We are so excited, I don’t think any of us thought about what the risks might really be (well, at least I didn’t! otherwise I may have limited my potential to have an adventure). We watched the safety video. Got dressed in their mandatory onsie/jumpsuit and leather helmet (maybe looking and feeling completely goofy helps stem the fear?).

As we ascended in the little plane, I looked out the small round window as the ground shrank away from us. All of a sudden, I realized the only way to get back to the ground was out that small, open door.

Fortunately, the tandem instructor is required to “test” the connections between us, so I felt like I was being braced…which gave me strength to trust his expertise. As it got closer to our time to get to the door, I felt unsteady and started reaching for the railing above. I quickly let go – remembering how my fear froze me on the edge of the trapeze ledge. I crossed my arms in front of me, basically hugging myself, as we creeped towards the exit.

At some point, I shut my eyes tight. I couldn’t hear the instructions being told to me (I vaguely remember “one spaghetti, two spaghetti”) as I kept repeating to myself to open my eyes. I was deeply afraid that if I did, I would once again freeze and never be able to jump off the plane’s door ledge. In the flash where I finally opened my eyes, I heard “three spaghetti!” and out the force of my instructor pushed us out and into the wind. Whoosh! Yes, as corny as that reads, that first rush of wind as you free fall down feels like one giant whoosh.

I was so thrilled I did something you’re not supposed to – put your arms out like you’re a bird or superman. I quickly learned (or felt the result, not just the instructor yelling) that doing that changes your flight path…and at that particular part of the jump, especially for beginners, that’s not highly recommended. Happily, it was not a major mistake.

The best part of the jump was when we pulled the rip-cord. We went from free fall to zipping so fast upwards that I felt like I was on a roller coaster. The parachute opened, and from there to the landing, felt like floating.  To add to the fun, the tandem instructor had us float through a cloud.

My friends and I all landed about the same time, and then joined each other at the edge of the field. We felt on top of the world! Laughing, we compared ourselves to ‘Charlie’s Angels’ finishing some exciting mission!  We all experienced that very big “adrenaline rush” that is so intoxicating.

jumping out of an airplane

Our endorphins rushing, we felt like Charlie’s Angels after skydiving

Letting Go

When people learn I jumped out of an airplane, they think how adventurous or daring I am. But I don’t. I think of the life lessons.

  • How I am able to trust a friend that much.
  • To trust myself that much.
  • How I learned to “Let Go. Let God.” (placing faith in something greater than my ego cannot see)
  • Or even beyond that – to not hold on in the first place.

Most importantly, that taking chances and having the right attitude – leads to just plain fun. (Or…just plane fun? Ha!). I can’t guarantee that I can leap off ledges now. But at least I know I can deal with it and usually the end result is better (and more fun) than my fear.

me tandem sky diving after jumping off the plane

For our 50th birthdays, my best friends and I went skydiving. (Tandem, so this is some guy from the place, name unknown)

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5 Comments

  1. Kate

    Wow! I can relate to both the fears and the feeling of letting go and of letting God… Not always both at same time and I can say that doing both together, at least for me, is where the peace and joy filled me up so completely like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It’s a beautiful.

    Reply
  2. Eileen

    The ‘Rush’ we felt for the remainder of the day was something I will NEVER forget. It was so freeing and worth the ‘oh shit’ moment felt as we approached the door to jump – or be jumped. Haha. Frankly, if I wasn’t tethered to the nice young man I may have chickened out.
    I loved sharing this adventure with you Stacey and still laugh that you thought I was taking you than indoor skydiving place – joke was on you but I felt comfortable we’d never regret it . Love ya girlfriend

    Reply
    • Stacey Newman Weldon

      One of the top reasons why turning 50 was the greatest year! Love sharing adventures with you too!

      Reply
  3. Lisa p

    And today you’re on a plane!
    Always new adventures… see you when you get back.

    Reply

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