Descriptive Essay

Michael Payne 

Mr. Neuburger

Eng. 101

Feb 28, 2013

My Skydiving Experience

            There are many things a person experiences in their lifetime. Skydiving is one of my favorite experiences. It’s the excitement and buildup before the flight, the adrenalin when you finally jump out of the plane and the beauty of the earth as you fall back unto it. It’s all the senses you feel during the moment and the freedom you feel once you conquer your fear and brace the experience. Sometimes when I feel trapped by everyday life’s routine. I like to do something that will bring me back to life, so let me tell you about an experience of a lifetime.

            Ever since I was a boy I have always dreamt about flying, as of most children do. I would pretend and imagine myself flying through the earth like superman and imagine the freedom and rush it could be to soar through the air. As I got older the fantasy of me flying never left. I knew I could never fly, but I could create the illusion of flying by falling out of a plane. By the time I was 16 I decided to experience bunji jumping, although it was over in a matter of seconds, I enjoyed the exhilaration and the adrenalin rush I got from it. I knew right then that in my lifetime I would feel the ultimate experience of skydiving. As time went by I would go to Branson or St. Louis to do sky coaster or bunji jump, to feed my urge to fall, but after 37 falls it was not enough. I had to feel more; I needed a longer fall; I longed for more wind in my hair, more tingling in my spine; 10 seconds of falling was not enough, in a blink of an eye it seems over. So for the next 5 years I would only dream about skydiving until one day I had waited long enough!

            In the winter of 2011 a group of friends came to me and told me about a Vegas trip they have been planning. Of course I have always dreamt about going to Los Vegas and experiencing, “the city that never sleeps.” Once I decided to buy vacation package to Vegas, I began looking up thing to do in Vegas for fun. I would spend hours online playing with ideas and planning events. I would look up pictures and sites of all the magnificent things you can do in the great city of Los Vegas, and bam! It hit me like a bat on a cold hollow pole. Skydiving for only $400, they would pick you up from the strip, sit you through their class and after eight hours you were falling over the great Nevada desert, not too far from the Grand Canyon. I knew this was it, not only would I be finally skydiving, but I would be falling down to the earth looking over the Grand Canyon!

            Now I won’t get into the experience of Vegas, so I will fast forward to the day of my great release, the moment I had been waiting for, for many years. I was to be up at 5 a.m. and be waiting at the lobby for my shuttle bus to pick me up. It wasn’t like I was able to sleep. I was in Vegas! All the lights, the sounds, the smells of many foods, the stench of alcohol hovering around people like bees, the smiling faces and laughter, the disappointed faces of losses, this was an overwhelming experience and to top it off I was building up the anticipation of my soon to be fall to the earth. Now if you ever ben to Vegas you know they have slot machines right by the door so that you can gamble right when you come in, or maybe one more try at your luck before you leave. This was a convenient place for me to wait because I was by the door and could see the awning where they will be picking me up.  Sure enough at 7 minutes till 5, a white shuttle bus marked Skydiving experience come pulling up and I knew it was real. I never forget the feeling of walking out of that casino/ hotel and into that musky white van. I was lost in the moment of Vegas and entering another moment of anticipation and thrill, kind of like I was sleep walking into a dim tunnel of cars flying by you. You’re waiting to get hit with reality and wake up from a dream but you’re not dreaming and the actions are real, very real. Now when you get into a van with a 300 pound man driving, the last thing you want to hear is “I am going to apologize in advance, but last night I had a bad pork sandwich and it not agreeing with me.” The only other guy in the van looked at me like a terrified squirrel in traffic, acknowledging the threat is real, and then I knew this was going to a long 45 min drive. Every 10 minutes or so the driver would roll down the windows trying to be polite but it didn’t work, it just blew that horrifying stench right at our faces like a 70 mile an hour of snowball packed shit. I remember being mad at the people who designed that van, why wouldn’t they install windows you can roll down by the passengers, why would the only 4 windows that can open be in front or behind us, is it to ensure the fact of smelly drivers to haunt you?

            After 45 minutes of wondering when the next wave of rotting corps was going to sneak up on us, we were finally there! I remember walking into the classroom and only 5 people being in a classroom that is ready to seat 50 people. I remember the anticipation in the room, the smell of cologne and coffee, the sun beating through the blinds, and the air conditioning humming through the vents. The instructor was just as excited as we were, he was full of energy and way too happy for as early as it was. I joked around with him, asking him to make my coffee like his. As the day went by the fidgeting and nervousness started to surface in the air, the excitement and with each passing moment it felt like my heart was beating faster and faster. After the longest, but fastest eight hours of my life it was time to prepare for flight. When we the four of us walked into the plane hangar, we saw four huge backpacks, which held our parachutes and I knew this was it not to even think about backing out, but to keep moving forward. Everyone joked with me about how confident I seemed, you can tell by the jolting movements and slow but steady steps, the other three were extremely nervous, they looked like bunnies in a garden full of dogs. On the surface I was confident and ready for the plunge, but underneath it all I was probably as nervous as they were. I knew I couldn’t let myself show any doubt, that I had to stay focus and determined so I don’t lose my composure. Before I could blink we were all loading on the plane and right when we all sat down the plane was taking off.        

            I cannot describe in words the emotions and thoughts running through my head as the plane took off. I was in calm, but raging exciting trance.  Could feel us rise higher and higher, knowing I will soon feel the opposite gravity feeling. At this point the woman who came with her boyfriend decided she was not jumping and there is nothing anyone can say to change her mind! Before any of us could finish trying to talk her into it we were at our jump zone and it was now or never.  As our instructor approached the door to open it we all looked at each other like we were in a tough spot together, and even though we were all strangers we came together in a moment that we all shared. We were like soldiers on the front lines ready to embrace the unknown. I knew now was the time to be the strongest and I yelled at the top of my voice, “I didn’t come this far to back out now, let’s do this!” I stepped in front of everyone and the other two guys behind me.

 The instructor said, “Ok, remember your training! As soon as I jump you all jump 2 seconds apart!”

When he jumped I barely counted to two when I jumped and for a split second I thought I went blind. When my heart caught up with my body I knew I was not blind I was just embraced with the light of the sun and when I looked down I could see the most amazing view of the earth. I felt like I was taking in the whole world and every emotion at once. I was looking at the curve of the earth at 14000 feet and falling fast, I could see the Grand Canyon in the distance, I could feel an extreme amount of wind slide against my body and the temperature warm up as I fall. I remembered at that moment a promise I made to myself. I remembered to pretend like I was flying. I would briefly fly to the left and turn to the right and open myself up to slow my speed, before I could finish I saw the instructor pull his shoot which was my sign to pull now! Right when I pulled I felt like god himself reached down and grabbed me out of midair. Although I was still falling down, it felt like I was at a complete stop for a few seconds. Now that I was falling much slower I could appreciate the view more and acknowledge my fellow jumpers. I will never forget the look on their faces, like they won the first place in the biggest race of there life. I imagined I had the same look on my face, and as we fell closer and closer to the desert, I couldn’t believe it was over. I had done it! I Michael Payne had skydived and not Tatum! I, for a brief moment flew like a bird, felt the wind against me, and saw what earth looked like from my naked eye, without a window or plane closing me in. I did it!

            I feel life is what you make of it, at the end of your life when you’re in your death bed, you will realize, life is all your memories, good, bad and everything in-between. I do not want to be dying, wishing I would have done this or not have done that. I will do all the things I want to do and not just talk about it. I still have a lot of living to do, and a lot more experiences to encounter, but I can cross skydiving off my list!