mellow

i have just barely begun to understand how to be stable, and for me it was all about relaxing. on my last jump, a level 4 repeat, just after exiting, i took a deep breath, and then let out a big aaaahhhhhhhhhh as i exhaled while falling, and sunk into a nice, stable arch. the wind felt completely different, like it was cradling me, instead of how it felt before, like i was trying to balance on it. Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

thanks everybody! i am soooo glad that's behind me..... can't wait to get up there again. level 5 (and maybe more) on sunday! Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

it was great reading your story.... keep at it, it just gets better and better!! Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

was getting back on that airplane..... i thought that the level 4 nightmare jump of losing my instructor just after exiting and then violently spinning for 6000+ feet last week was behind me. 6 days later i drove down to the dz to try it again, and felt confident and ready to go. until i saw my instructor walk in the door......then my stomach sank. during the 4 hours i waited to get on a load, this overwhelming fear surfaced out of nowhere. my feet and palms were sweating, i got a headache, i was fighting tears, and pacing....i was absolutely terrified to get on that plane again. i knew i had to go, so i suited up, swallowed hard, and did it. in the plane i felt like i had a bag of cotton in my mouth, my hands were sweating like crazy.... i was so scared. then, i made myself take some deep breaths, i leaned back, and sank into my fate. i knew i had to jump out. i told myself that i wasn't going to fight the wind anymore, i wasn't going to overthink my body position and try to balance on that slick cushion of air. instead, i thought, "screw it, i'm going to relax" (thanks john), and "i'm gonna be a birdie, a badminton shuttlecock.." (thanks wendy). and it worked!!!! i relaxed, and my shoulder joints opened up, and i melted into a beautiful, stable arch!!! yay!!! i even had fun!! and that was a first! haha!! now i know what all you people are talking about!!! yeah, freefall is fun! this time, instead of being so relieved at pull time that the stress was finally over, i wanted it to last longer! so, thanks to everyone who posted on my nightmare thread, and thanks for all of the pm's. i really appreciate all of the encouragemant and suggestions i got. yay!!!! onto level 5! Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

it's great if you can "knock it out" in a few days. that was my plan. however with all of my preparation and earnest determination to get it right, i've already had to repeat 2 levels. so what i would say to you, is this: go with the mindset that you are there to learn to be a safe skydiver, and it doesn't matter how long it takes or how many repeated levels it takes to understand and apply what you are taught. the goal is to learn, not race through the course. there is no pass/fail, only learning. as i struggled with a few things before i "got it," and before my body was able to do what my mind understood, i was really frustrated. then some long time experienced jumpers helped me to understand that many, many people struggle in the beginning, it's normal. don't set yourself up to meet standards you might not be able to achieve, and don't compare your progress to timelines that have worked for others. take as long as you need, try to relax, and have fun! Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

hahahaha!!!!!!! that is soooo funny!!! god, i wish i had video of mine! that is hilarious! Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

good job! i'm going back up there on saturday. and this time, it's going to go great! Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

you know what? i just have to figure out how to relax while i'm blasting down at 120mph. it feels like i'm laying on this slick, slippery column of air, and i have to concentrate with everything i've got to keep my balance. i know i need to relax more, which i think i am as much as i can....but it's hard. i'll get it though. i'm 2 days away from that jump now, and feel ready to get back up there. hopefully i'll be able to jump this weekend. that's my plan. Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

thanks everyone- and thanks to all of you previous spinners. i know i'm not alone with the spinning issue, and it helps to hear that you've overcome it and what helped you do it. it's probably because i'm really tired right now, but i'm really nervous to get back up there again. i know i have to though, and i will. Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

i had a problem with pain in my ears after my tandem jump also. i thought it was due to the wind blasting them. now that i'm doing aff i have a helmet on, and it completely went away. i hope that's the case for you, too. good luck with aff and have fun! Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

he told me very frankly that he was embarassed and felt really bad that he had had no influence whatsoever on the dive. he said that his mistake was to fully release me while i was starting to slightly turn. he said that as i gained speed, i planed out and floated higher and he was struggling with all he had to try to get to me. he was concerned that i had gone unconscious. he finally succeeded in slowing down his fall rate, and then noticed me just below him, spinning like crazy. he dove down to me, but just as he was about to reach me, i deployed. he told me that as i waved off and reached for the pilot chute, the change in my body position started to slow the spin. he apologized to me for not being able to get to me, telling me that he knew it was his job to prevent this sort of thing from happening, but he just wasn't able to regain control of the situation. he talked about my landing, which was a good pattern and soft touch down. he noticed me struggling with the canopy catching wind as i was trying to pick it up, and told me what to do. he also commented on my mental composure and recollection of the dive. and then he wanted to do some drills on the creeper with me to show me how to do corrective turns, but i was so nauseated and mentally wacked out that i just wanted no part of it. so i politely declined any more instruction. he's a nice guy, and i thanked him for jumping with me, and we hugged and left on really great terms. i don't think i'll be able to do any more aff jumps with him though. that was really intense for both of us. Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

wow...i just got back from my 3 1/2 day stay down at the dz in hollister- did 5 aff jumps. had to repeat level 2 because i had a hard time finding the right way to arch, but finally got it and had a great level 2 and 3 on saturday. even though i felt good about the jumps, they were difficult, and i had not yet come to the place of actually enjoying them. they were stressful. i was feeling so good to have gotten this far, however, and was so ready and so excited to move on to level 4. i had been with the same 2 instructors up to this point, level 4 was going to be with a different instructor. the main instructor i had been working with for levels 1-3 told me that for level 4, he just wanted me to have what he called a "zen dive." he wanted me to really just relax into that stable arch that i had worked so hard on, and really get it firm in my mind and my muscles. i was so excited to not have to do any "tasks" for this jump. i just wanted to try to relax and actually see if i could find some enjoyment in this jump. i spent about 20 min on the ground with my level 4 guy, and then we were off. everything started out great. good exit at 15k, got stable within a few seconds. then, i immediately began to slowly turn a little, and the next thing i knew, he had released me and that slow turn started to gain speed...quickly. i saw him in front of me for a split second, and thought, "ok...uhh, i need to stop turning..." (later, under canopy, i realized that all i needed to do, was to counter the turn by turning the other way. but at the time, i had no quick reflexes.) i wasn't sure what to do, and the spin rapidly went violent. the horizon blurred into nothingness. i checked my altitude and thought....."ok. 10k. i want to try and fix this. hmmm. i don't know how. i know, i'll arch! ok. that didn't work. omg, now i'm spinning even faster....and my head is pointing DOWN...oh, this isn't good. i feel like i'm going even faster....arch! good, i'm back to spinning level again. what's the altimeter say? ......ok...about 8k...that's good..... omg, i flipped onto my back! crap! this is definitely not good....wait, he said something about correcting that with bringing an arm in and rolling.....oh good....it worked! i'm spinning on my belly again. this is crazy!! how can i fix this???? what's the altitude? 6.5k. ok, you know what???....i'm done. i'm back on my belly, i'm out of altitude, i'm out of ideas, and i don't know what kind of a mess i'm going to have when this parachute deploys because i'm still spinning like crazy, but.... i'm outta here!" i waved off and threw out that pilot chute. and then i spun upward as the canopy opened. i looked up, and OMG...a perfect canopy! holy crap i couldn't believe believe it! what a relief! i just hung there for a minute and paused, took a deep breath. thank god i'm not spinning anymore! i got going, and landed softly right next to my target. and then i sat down and thought, "this is too hard. i quit. i am not cut out for this, i am not good at this, and why am i putting myself thought this stressful, hellish experience???" i got up, gathered the rig, threw it over my shoulder and headed back. then, after about 2 minutes, i thought, "you know what? if i could have stopped that turn right when it was starting, this wouldn't have happened. it's just a turning issue i need to figure out. let me go up there again and try this another time..." well, i never did make another jump that day, which was yesterday. it turned out to be my last jump of the weekend. i spent some time talking with my instructor, who himself was quite freaked. he hadn't been able to catch up with me and thought i had gone unconscious. soon, i noticed myself starting to get really bummed out. i was starting to feel nauseous from all of the spinning, my right eye had a HUGE blood clot, and i was so disappointed to be leaving the next morning on such a crappy note. after a few hours, i started telling my son (who jumps and works at the dz) what had happened, and all of a sudden i started to cry and shake a little. i realized then just how freakishy scary that whole experience was. so, finally, at the end of the day yesterday, after having spoke to a few other experienced jumpers, i started to feel better. they helped me to realize that my mental composure and altitude awareness was something i should feel really good about. and i started to realize that having gone through that, all by myself with nobody to rescue me, and having the ability to maintain a really calm, clear mental state while violently spinning......this was something positive. i started to feel better about the whole thing. i thought, "well if i could think clearly in that situation, i'm not afraid of malfuctions or emergencies anymore.....i know i'll be able to keep my mind in tact and think clearly. so now, here i am the next day, still pretty gun shy to get back up there, but feeling that overall, it was a really positive experience. it taught me that i really can take care of myself up there. i just need a few more tools in my tool bag of skill to use.... Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

happy birthday john! wish i could have a piece of that cake.... Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

yea...the're back...along with scary dreams at night that want me to question my sanity for doing this. i agree. everything is working out for the best...and yea, i have that book, and the sim...so now i have yet another week to wait and read some more... haha! i can't wait! fjc is the thurs 2nd, then i'm going to get as many jumps in as i can all weekend.... Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

that would be fun.... maybe the laws will change over here before then, but i'm not holding my breath. Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

my 9 year old daughter is so upset that she has to wait another 7-9 years. her brother has is B license and i'm just getting started. she really wants to go.... Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

thanks. i feel better today. what's another week when i've already waited a month..... Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

yea... i feel like crap right now. but i'll recover, i'll get my enthusiasm back. Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

i was supposed to start aff on thursday, and was so psyched to get up in the air, and finally, after 2 tandems, jump with my own parachute- and now, because of forces beyond my control, i have to WAIT....probably another week...which feels like an eternity. this feeling of being soooo ready, all the butterflies (stomache ache, actually), and coming to the end of a 4 week wait since i had decided to do this, only to find out i have to WAIT some MORE..... deflated....that's how i feel now. ok. i'm done whining. hopefully i'll start the weekend of the 4th. Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

do you have the answers? Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

wow, chris, i'm just barely getting started here, and feel like i'm really going to miss you! i agree that to open a new door, sometimes we must close one. and for me, as hard as it may have seemed at the time, it has always led me to yet another adventure and a better place. i also want to commend you for having the courage to follow your passion. i think alot of people cling to the "security" of what they think is "safe" and never take the chance. i hope that as you follow your dream of a music career, you find what you are looking for in life. best of luck to you! Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

my first jump, although i loved it, was super stressful. i had no idea what to expect, my brain went totally numb and i got really nauseated. even with all of that, i knew i wanted to do aff and learn to skydive. that's why i opted for this second tandem. i felt way too nervous to just jump right in. now, having done all of the level 1 stuff with my instructor strapped to my back, and having jumped with awareness of my surroundings and feeling much more comfortable with the whole thing, i feel REALLY ready to start. my biggest concern at this point is the canopy ride and landing. but i'm way more confident that i'll do ok having the experience of this working tandem under my belt. aff starts in 6 days and i am super excited to start! Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

yea. there is no way i'll have it before aff, which is only a few days away. i'm just doing some future planning right now, and thinking ahead. i do think a helmet will be the first piece of gear that i buy, and since the ones i'm considering aren't cheap, it will be a while. besides, i need to make a good number of jumps beforehand to get a better feel for what i think will be best. Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

well, so far i haven't read anything on any post that would suggest i'm not going to like a full face. i'll try as many on as i can, and then just get one. i guess the only way to try them on would be to check out what people are wearing at my dz, and ask if i could slip it on for a sec? too bad there's not a store nearby that i could just go and see the whole selection.... anyway, thanks for all of the input everyone. Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.

Quote Are you jumping with a Protec helmet as a student?Quote i'm so new that i haven't even used a helmet yet! i've only done 2 tandems- the last one was instructional though, all the aff level 1 stuff.... but the wind and cold during freefall is not very comfortable for me, which is why i'm already thinking about helmets- Jennifer don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. and then go do that, because what the world needs is people that come alive.