Sapphire

Just do it! I am terrified of heights... so much so that I hate climbing on a small 3-4 step ladder. So, yeah... getting into the plane sucks more then jumping out of it - haha! I can't look over ledges, so being on the 3rd floor of my apartment building sorta sucks when I go out on the deck - I MUST remain close to the wall. It is a different perspective when you're up so high... and I know my 2 jumps were just tandems, (so I'm surely no authority on the subject), but I still don't remember being afraid at the door. AFF CAT B is tomorrow, so we'll see if that changes... my only worries right now is flying the canopy, but that's a totally different subject. If you have the desire to jump... seriously, schedule it and DO IT! I kept putting it off for various reasons - some important, other's just waiting on friends to make up their minds. In the end, I showed up at the DZ alone and haven't regretted it one bit. It was, by far, the best experience of my life!

I think you can do it... weather cooperating and all! I 'think' from what I've read somewhere you may have a bet of some sort with someone on if you can do it or not... and you don't seem to me like the kind of chick who likes to lose bets! (Course, I guess I don't know if losing this one is really winning... hehe!) Good luck anyway!

Thank you for the great post full of very useful advice - I really appreciate it. Trust me, I will certainly make sure to discuss any concerns/anxiety/questions I have with the actual instructors I will be working with, as they will best be able to provide me the answers/advice I need since they will be the ones jumping with me and watching me fly and land - successfully, of course! It is just nice to have a place to go in between jumps to read other's experiences and to voice any questions or concerns I may have to people who get it instead of just hearing the usual "why would you jump out of a perfectly good airplane" ... and the "you're friggin insane" comments I've been getting... LMAO! "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller

You truly are an inspiration for all of us, but especially to us newbies who wonder if we can really ever do this! Congrats to you... like someone else said... you do so ROCK! "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller

Well, Cat A (via tandem) went well... YAY! So, I'm now all scheduled for my FJC and Cat B (AFF) ... I can't wait! Though, I must say, I've not yet had much door fear (though I guess that could be because I was attached to someone else both times, I dunno) - but currently I'm feeling more anxiety of being under canopy alone. Honestly the canopy portion wasn't my fave part on either tandem, but thinking about it next time on my own... is this normal - more like a fear of the unknown? Anyway, I am still VERY excited... will post back when it's all said and done... just wish me luck! (hehe!) ~J "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller

Welcome! I used to live in South Carolina... it was always so funny to me to hear male cheerleaders yellin "You can't lick our cocks" hehe! Some people in SC being so, how shall I say, ultra conservative and all. LOL! Anyway... just wanted to say Hi... "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller

I've made two tandems, one I didn't eat prior and the other I ate something small. It was today (YAY) and very hot, so I wa worried if I didn't eat combined with the heat I'd get nauseous, too. Though I did not get sick either time, I do think you should try eating something light about an hour or two prior, drink plenty of water, and also maybe try some ginger or dramamine an hour before. Certainly give it one more try... Good luck!

My first thing to do would be to make sure my lil dog Oli had a safe place to live and someone to look after him; then, I'd make sure that everyone I loved knew how much they truly meant to me (just in case they didn't already)... I'd try like hell to get a hug from my ex, then... make an actual big girl jump since I've only done one tandem so far. Whatever time was left, well hopefully that time would be spent having a couple of drinks with those closest to me laughing about crazy times we all had together. "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller

The Fast & the Furious... But lately, more like The Departed! *sigh* "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller

+1 Love is amazing... though I've only experienced it once! It's the 'when the relationship is over' part that sucks ass... but the actual love never really ends. "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller

OMFG! I couldn't imagine ever giving them back! I can't say they're not painful to read, but they're mine to treasure and to bring me back to a time when I know I was loved! (the very few times I've looked at them) It's not a thing that has happened but once in my life with a 100% degree of certainty and I wouldn't dare give them back, throw them away, burn them or anything. They are put away with some other 'momentos' that will be items I will always probably cherish.

Hiya! Congrats on the first jump... I just had mine on Easter and you're right, it was amazing!

OK, well I had the BEST Easter ever! I finally got to jump (tandem), and I don't have to tell any of you, but it was the most incredible experience of my life! They really need to come up with some new words just for skydivers so they can try to convey the feeling in words to people who have never experienced it! I am definitely going back... I was a little upset with myself though. I watched my alti, waved off at pull time, but I couldn't feel to pull... damn gloves were HUGE! I mean, I know we have to have one size fits most, so I overlooked the big jumpsuit cause I'm not the shortest most petite of chicks, but gloves, too! LMFAO! Course, I guess it could've been my lack of experience and sensory overload, too... but I blame it on the gloves! Everyone was great at Skydive Orange... I hope to be spending more time and money there in the future! "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller

Congrats!

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome!

Hello everyone! I guess after over one year lurking on here I should finally introduce myself. My name is Jessica, I'm 35 (wow - I didn't give the standard fake age of 26 ), and I live in NoVA.

I never post on here, mostly lurk as I've not had the opportunity to make my first skydive and don't feel comfortable, but this post just sort of hit home to me. My heart aches for you and I don't even know you. Seems 2008 has been shitty for so many... started off horrible for me, almost lost the man of my dreams to a horrible skydive accident, then spent a wonderful (though hard) year with him that I wouldn't trade for the world, only to end up having him leave my life without knowing or understanding why. I can only hope 2009 is better for everyone... and I hope you can get things settled as best you can so that your child doesn't have to lose out. Good luck to you! "One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller