# 7

It is hard to describe. Jumping out of an airplane. Honestly, until you do it, wow...how can you know?
Yesterday, I crossed off #7 on my "Things I want to do in life" list. Years ago, Jr. high to be exact, a list started floating around amongst my friends of things someone wanted to do before they died. And, being the joiner I am, I was like, hey that's a great thing to make. So, I did. And I have. And I add to it every year. But I changed the name on my list. Maybe one day I'll publish it here.

I will soon have pics to share and a video I'm hoping to figure out how to get on here too or on Myspace.

The class is a video with a man that looks like he's straight out of ZZ Top explaining that you too can die doing this and all the insurance, we're not responsible mumbo jumbo. Then, Joel and David did a 2 min. run thru of what I needed to do while up there and that was it. I got harnessed up and let me tell you, cute boys pushing your parts around isn't all that it's cracked up to be. It's better! (j/k)
"Lang 2...10 min. call" We start walking over to the plane. First on, last off is us. I'm the only tandem jumper on this load so it's fun to watch the rest of them. Almost everybody on my load was staff from the Prarie here in MT. along with a couple of other annual attendees. If you've never been to a jump meet(boogie), go. It's too fun to miss!

So, up up up we go. Gaining altitude and zroooom we do a fly by on the tower. SO COOL, my smile gets bigger. The load starts singing BEER RUN. The pilot does a zero gravity drop. Things float for a half a second. EVEN COOLER...smile continues to grow. Dave, my tandem master, starts telling me what we're going to do to hook up to each other and my stomach starts getting really nervous. Can't concentrate on that though, we have to hook up. He then reminds me of everything we went over on the ground together says, ok, lets sqat and I start watching people dive from our plane. Out they go...one by one...three together....five....1,2,3,4,5,6. I think they did a 9 person formation in the sky, but I wasn't watching. I was busy getting ready to dive myself. Waddleing like a duck Dave and I approach the doorway. Out goes our camera man on to the wing of the plane. Toes over the edge, head way out, grab my harness and "HOLY SHIT! Sweet Jesus..."
Free fall...3 seconds...ARCH Kristen(I'm repeating the instructions in my head...arch, kick Dave in the Butt)dave taps me on the shoulder...arms open...I'm flying...and we're falling fast.
a full 10,000 feet free fall.
And it's amazing...my mouth is wide open. (close your mouth Kristen was all I could keep saying to myself) I'm waving. I'm trying to breathe. It's so strange of a feeling, it's like an adrenline OD. "HOLY SHIT...." I'm looking around and then poof...the parachute opens and we are really flying now. It's amazing. Soaring through the air, hanging in the air. I can't find the words to tell you how cool it is to look at the ground from up there. I couldn't stop turning around and around with my neck and face. Trying to capture everything and anything I could. WOW!!!!!!
I can see the brewery. I can see the lakes that I drive past everyday. I can see forever. The sun is mid-setting! It's warm...so nice and warm. Dave asks if I want to do a 360. "What's that?" I ask. (I was so high I couldn't tell you what a 360 is. I'm all, "SURE!" SO cool. As we are soaring Dave and I start talking about straps and how my stomach is. He tells me how to puke if I have to. We are soaring for a long time. Or at least it seems like it was a long time. I can begin to see people and Dave asks me to practice our landing. Feet up as high as possible, land right on our booties. 500 feet...and dropping...fast. Booooommmm....the landing sucked. Tailbone hurts a lot today and I bruised a few toes. It's strange how much toes can hurt.
People are screaming WOOO HOOO!!! I see many running towards me...I hug dave. THANKS!
Josh(brother) is there. Audrey(step sister) and Michael and Nicky(my nephews)too. Mom comes heading my way. Alesha(good friend) is running towards me yelling. I'm overwhelmed! My sister and baby Logan are there. My dad and Beth(step mom), aunt sally, uncle dick, friends from the lake...friends from all around. And co-workers...Beer is being poured over my head and alesha's! First jump tradition!
The rest is a little blurry...well not really, but it's not that important to talk about. OH WAIT...except for the bon fire at the prarie. SO cool...everyone standing around just chillin. I can't stop calling Dave my hero. I gain a sort of crush. I mean come on...the man totally gave me the greatest experience ever.
I'm still a little high...in the clouds...floating...so maybe more later. But for now, I've gotta go eat some lunch...
WELCOME TO THE SKIES!!!!!