LookUpHigh

Wow, these are the kind of feelings I have in my heart and soul. I'll never forget coming to terms with my mortality and the end of it all, and how I would live my life if I had known how short it truly is. I feel I owe it to myself to live freely and happily and as deep as possible for the fact I was given a second chance let alone a fucking first chance to even begin with. I think about all the good people who died much to young and all the elderly wishing they had one more day. I'm afraid of taking for granted all that life has to offer. I've been trying to do the things I was afraid to or society told me was too dangerous or stupid. But it's so hard to not get caught up in the grind that makes us so bitter, I see my friends falling victim to their jobs and wives and "what dad says I should do". It's so easy to shun your true happiness away because "that's just silly" and "what would so-and-so think". It's scary to follow your heart, but most the time it pays off in beautiful ways. I don't know man, "the norm" is a heavy shackle but I'm trying to break free. Here's to freedom!

Thank you for your post Nataly, it really hit home for me. And Everyone else, thank you for sharing your stories and offering up advice. I always enjoy getting different perspectives on things and you guys are definitely an interesting bunch. And I really appreciate those who said something from the heart.

That's what I was getting at somewhere in there, still a change none the less.

Great post, thank you. I bet it has changed you a lot. I like the idea of being somewhat minimalist. Although I'm sure it'll be very hard at times to give up having the creature comforts and privacy i have at my disposal. I feel like it would be good for my soul to give them up though. I also think it would be necessary in order to understand and appreciate how much I have.

Oh and Airtwardo, let us know when your biography or documentary comes out because that's something id love to see or read!

Yes I'm 24. But I think my age is irrelevant here. I appreciate the advice though. When you say life changes in the blink of an eye, I understand that more than you can imagine, my "life experiences" have taught me that more than anything. I also have seen that it can end in the blink of an eye. Which is something else that brings me here. Another reason I have been doing the things in life that I dreamt about or feared. Life is short but it is vast, and I have begun to refuse taking people's word on what I should do and what life is about, although I dissect most of it and take into consideration what I feel is important. I don't know what I want out of life, but I know I want to live it. I was given the gift of life, twice I believe, and I think it would be a damn shame if I wasted it. I'm simply just curious about peoples own adventures and stories they can share. Just for fun. Not so much for direction or advice, though it is nice of you to offer it guys.

Has anyone ever given up everything for a dream? Quit your job, sold your house, had to deal with family and friends opposing it, etc..... I'd love to hear about your story. You could say I have the "ideal life" in some ways, and i'm just not satisfied by it. I don't make tons of money or have a trophy wife or what have you, but i have a secure job and a pretty nice house and car and some good friends. But i see everyone settling down around me and doing the wife and kids and 401k thing, and i know in my heart that its just not for me. At least not yet. After all my life experiences, good and bad, i just know theres so much more to see and experience and learn.

Besides my first jump ever. It would have to be my first completely solo jump. No instructors, just solo. And it also happened to be my first sunset jump. It was so beautiful I'll never forget that sunset or that jump. It felt as if I were floating instead of falling. Just watching the sunset.

I use a nutribullet blender and mix up kale, carrots, avocado, apple, pear, mango, strawberries, blackberries, peanutbutter, milk, and some protein powder and it tastes phenomenal! I always feel great after drinking it too. It can get pricey but its worth it.

As I reached down to pick up the soap and it dawned on me that this was not a good idea while in a prison shower, I thought to myself "this is gonna hurt"

Hey Dave, thanks by the way. How hard do you think it would be for someone like me to sell that Stiletto? I mean for people to take my word that its legit when I don't know anything about it. And you think a 15 year old rig will still be fine?

Here's the dilemma: I just got my A at 25 jumps and have 6 licensed jumps. I'm 6'2" and about 210lbs give or take, with average to muscular build. I'd like to have a complete rig put together this year but my options are limited so I'm looking for any and all advice. Since finding used gear for my size and canopies over 200 is not an easy task, I'm not sure what my best bet is here. I don't think I'll be ready for the easily accessible 190 for a while, at least safely. The smallest I've jumped is a 240 student rig and felt fine on it. Renting gear is proving to be a pain and the cost will surely add up, plus I want my own gear so I can understand it and do my best to master it instead of using different gear always. So does anyone have any suggestions on how to piece this together in a cost/safety effective way. Or where to look or who to talk to. I'm looking for a freefly friendly container and a main I will be happy with for a couple seasons. I could care less about swooping, that's years from now, but I don't want to get bored. Thanks for any help.

Well after searching Dropzone.com for over a week now and clicking just about every thread on the search results I'm now giving up. I know that I seen the damn thread before but now I can't find it so I guess I'll start a new thread in hopes of not getting flamed, maybe if someone can post the link to the thread and then a Moderator can delete this one. Ok to the point, I'm going to a new Dropzone next month and I just got my A-license. I wouldn't say i'm worried but I want to be safe and I want to do it right. So does anyone have any solid advice on visiting new dropzones, especially for someone who is just a baby in the sport. Any advice will be appreciated! Blue Skies!

it's kinda funny how this thread makes me rethink the possibility of becoming a TI someday. I know its no easy task and most certainly not for every jumper. But it sounds pretty neat to get to share some time with a complete stranger that will become an unforgettable memory for them (and possibly me). Who knows. I always say I'll never become a tandem instructor....but I also used to say I'd never jump out of an airplane but here I am now.

(weird German guy picks up bowling ball) "What the fuck is this?" Dude- "well obviously you're not a golfer" hahaha my favorite! Another one from the Dude- "God damn you Walter! You fuckin' asshole! Everything's a fuckin' travesty with you, man! And what was all that shit about Vietnam? What the FUCK, has anything got to do with Vietnam? What the fuck are you talking about?"

What a great thread! Just read the whole thing from front to back. Thanks for sharing guys!

guess he forgot what he was gonna ask....

Good for you for not giving up a dream! Trust me, its worth it!

Congratulations! Me and a girl from the DZ just got ours yesterday as well! Had the raddest Dual Pin Dive! Its was the funnest jump i've done since my first. I'm the one in the picture on the left with the light blue jumpsuit and the orange/black/white shoes.

I was awesome at one thing, good at another, and sucked at something else. So i'll consider myself average. But the only important thing to me is I have fun, whether i'm learning, practicing or rocking a jump. Thats all that matters to me. Good or bad I jump because I love it.

Hey aren't you that guy who teaches people how to swoop? TEACH ME TEACH ME!

I would base it on your money situation. This is not a cheap sport. If your funds are limited then i wouldn't waste my money on more tandems and just go right for AFF. I believe when people say the tunnel is a great tool, however, again if money is limited it is almost completely unnecessary. They'll teach you how to fly in AFF, and this way your canopy progress is pretty evenly matched with your flying skills. The tunnel isn't cheap. But if you live somewhere where its about to be snowing and 7 degrees out then I could see your point of not starting AFF. I have 5 jumps left until i'm licensed and I KEEP GETTING SCREWED! Every weekend its raining or 80 MPH winds lol. And its not getting any warmer.

I used to be friends with a girl whose younger sister committed suicide just a couple years ago. She was in High School and the "popular" girls would make fun of her because of her accent. They were from Croatia and both had a thick accent but were total sweethearts. But they never gave the girl a break and eventually she took her life. Whats even more disgusting is that as part of their punishment the girls were made to go to her funeral and were caught laughing and joking while they went up to pay their respects. I don't understand how these kids can be so cruel, i think maybe they don't have the mental maturity to understand what they did and that they brought someone so much pain that they took their own life. But also their seems to be a growing trend in suicide for these young kids. I know there was 3 other suicides THAT YEAR, AT THAT SCHOOL! I was lucky enough to grow up where technology was still limited and we could get away with physically standing up for ourselves. I feel sorry for these kids today, they barely stand a chance.

I can vouch for this. And Adam is a very very helfpful member at the Dropzone who is not one to shoot off opinions or "skygod" remarks. So I always feel comfortable taking advice from him. Thanks buddy.

Thats so awesome, I've had such a great experience so far in this sport. It's relatively safe but still, every jump we run the risk of not making it back and it humbles me. I think it humbles most of us and helps us become better people. I don't want to go in and have someone remember me for some dickhead move I pulled, or lose someone else while the last time they were alive I didn't forgive them for something silly. We're all risking our lives but in turn we get to experience something so absolutely amazing and we make the best friends anyone could ever have. I hope I forever stay so humble that if I am ever fortunate enough that I can GIVE away something that is worth thousands of dollars that I don't forget where I came from and what I started with.