When Ed was younger...actually it was just a few months ago. Ed was delivering pizzas when his motorbike broke down in the middle of nowhere. He had to walk back to the shop. Anyone would've done the same. But first, he ate the pizza. I wouldn't of done that. That thought wouldn't have even come in to my head.
It's good to be around people like that...they motivate you to do stuff that you might not have done otherwise.
For a while I thought I might not of had the motivation, or the guts, to go through with the skydive, especially after the swoop.
Maxi did one and he said it was great, despite puking in the plane on the way up. He's also the guy that puked through his regulator while scuba diving.
Mikey did one and said it was great. He said it was best to do one the day after some girl fucks you over, since you'd be more likely to jump out.
Lynn, Ed, Orla and I rang round a few places as chose the cheapest, and they came and picked us up 20 minutes later. Soon enough we were being suited up and meeting the professionals that we would be attached to as we fell out of a plane at 200 km/h.
We all bundled in to the plane. I was last in, which meant I was sat next to the transparent shutter where everyone enters and exits. It also meant that I would be the first to jump out.
The plane was climbing for ages and I came to the conclusion that it was any second until the jump. My tandem guy that showed me the altometer (I don't think that's even a word, but you know what I mean). We were only at 2,000 feet. My jump was from 12,000 feet. So we kept climbing and climbing.
To put it in to perspective, imagine a wiener dog which is exactly 1 foot long. Now imagine 12,000 of them. Now imagine them all in a row sniffing each others butts. Now imagine that row going vertically. Paints a vivid picture doesn't it? That's how high it was when they opened the shutter.
We turned and I dangled my legs out in to the sky. Bricking it. You put your head back and I clenched my teeth and after a few seconds we were out. The initial drop is so intense. You just kind of make a noise through your teeth which sounds like "Gehrrrr". Then you wait for your stomach to catch up with you.
When it does, you begin to take it all in. The ground coming towards you and the amazing view all around you. The cameraman flying in circles around you. All the air flying in to your face. I realised I wasn't breathing and tried to start. Your body has to get used to that again.
The freefall was about 45 seconds before the parachute opened I think. Then you just kind of float down and do spins and check out the sceney, and just try and get to grip with it all.
It was a perfect way to celebrate having been away for 18 months. The skydive was seriously the best thing I have ever felt. I would definitely do one again. Every time I think about that initial drop it puts a smile on my face. It was honestly better then anything I have ever done before in my life. Anything. Honestly. Yes, even that. Anything. Better than pizza.
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