Free Falling!

I'm not sure if I should write this now. I'm not sure that I have energy to do it justice.

Kate and I have made it to Lake Taupo on the North Island. This region is absolutely beautiful with rolling hills of green green grass, snow covered mountains, and of course, a giant lake.

We have been working at Tuahara Centre, about 8km from the town center since last Sunday. So far it has been enjoyable. Our mornings are spent playing housekeeper or chef while our afternoons are spent wandering the region.

Wednesday was a very special day. We were going to start working an hour early so we could knock off work an hour early. We had very special plans for our afternoon. These plans were the whole reason that we had come to Taupo.

Our first host, Dene, is an avid skydiver. He jumped competitively for years. So we saught his advice in pursuing this endeavor, and he told us the most beautful place to jump, was Taupo. So Kate and I went about setting up a host and making travel arrangments. Then, as soon as we got here, we made our sky diving reservations! Which is what we were supposed to spend our afternoon doing.

So on Wednesday, we were more than happy to wake up and work an hour earlier. We were joined by the Frenchies, Florian and Fabian, who are in hour "unit" and with whom we have the pleasure of sharing a bathroom. They would be jumping with us in the afternoon. (Side note... 7 people and 1 bathroom does keep life interesting). Then we got a nice surprise. Catherine gave us the day off!

First thing we did? Check the weather. We wanted to make sure that everything was perfect for our jump and we feared rain showers in the afternoon. That and Kate wanted to make sure to tell her mom that she loved her, in case the jump was the last thing we ever did. I decided to tell the world that I was jumping. Unfortunately, the weather did not look so favorable. Winds were 10-20 mph. We wondered how this would affect our day. And then we went for a walk.

The walk was windy. We were worried.

At quarter to 1, we called to confirm our flight. The nice girl told me, unfortunately, all flights were on hold because of the wind, and I should call back at quarter to 3. Kate and I fidgeted. Where we going to get to jump? We began hoping that the 3 pm jump would also be called off. But for very different reasons.

Kate was only jumping becuse I was jumping. She was quite nervous about the jump and might not have minded not jumping (of course, this was only because she didn't know how awesome it was yet!). I wanted it to get postponed, because overall, the weather for Thursday just looked better. No clouds and less wind.

We both got our wish. At 2:45 I was told to call back on Thursday at 12:45.

The afternoon passed uneventfully.

THURSDAY: JUMP DAY

The morning isn't really important. All you need to know is that when I called Skydive Taup at 12:35 they said the mission was a go and they would pick us up in 10 minutes. So then Kate and I had the lovely task of trying to get the French boys moving. Andrew was going to drive us to the convenience store down the hill, where the skydive limo would pick us up.

French boys move slow! First it took forever to get them out of our "unit." Then came the real problem. We had agreed to meet Andrew in the kitchen. This happens to be were Stan and crew had just finished preparing lunch. We then had to contend with french boy who like to move slow and like to eat... A LOT. Andrew, Kate, and I were in the car yelling for them to move along, and we nearly left them. But finally there were five in the car and we were headed down the hill.

We arrived at the Acacia Bay Store to find our chariot waiting for us. Yes we were the tools, riding in an old, white limo that has seen better days. But the liscence plate made it all worth it. "JUMPUS" Nice.

We stopped by Backpackers and picked up a German couple on our way to the airport. They were nice, and much calmer than our French boys.

When we arrived at the airport they shuffled us into a movie theatre. There we watched a video of a very excited girl jumping. The video was more fun than informative. The most important thing we learned was that if you get the DVD, they give it a really awesome soundtrack. And I decided that I was not going to be the person videod (Kate and I had decided to split the cost of a DVD). The girl watched the camera a lot and there were a lot of antics for the camera. I did not want to be distracted from the beautyof the jump by having a camera in my face.

So then we got paired up. My tandem was Henk. A Kiwi, who had once been to Manhattan and seen a road sign for Hoboken. So he knew where NJ was.

He set me up in this wicked cool blue jump suit. But better than the suit was the harness. The ever attractive grab you in all the wrong places harness. Then we were given a nice hat, some warm gloves, and goggles. The disposable kind that you wear in an intro chem lab. You can imagine how becoming this outfit is.

Then it was time to sit and wait. And by sit and wait, I mean take pictures, and watch the jump before us come down. We talked a bit with the German couple, only the boy was jumping, we tried to convince the girl to go. I don't think that Kate was very convincing. She didn't seem so sure of the whole jump thing herself. We watched the group before us land. There was a yeller in the group. But it was definitely from happiness. The landings were interesting. Some landed on their feet, some on their butts, some a mixture of the two? Kate and I wanted to know how we would land.

The four jumpers before us walked away from the landing zone with grins on their faces. All of their bones were in tact. And I pointed out to Kate, there was no blood. We were going to be okay.

And then it was our turn.

BRIGHT PINK PLANE!! And very very tiny. There are no seats, just a blue cushiony thing to stradle as our tandems attach our harnesses to them. I get in the plane first. The guy asks me if I'm ready or excited or something... I reply, I better be, because I'm the reason that Kate and the French boys are jumping. If I get cold feet or decide it's lame... well, that's just lame.

And it's lift off. If I was still in the TCI, this would have been the puddle hopper that made me fear for my life. It was held together with duct tape and rubber bands and barely had room for the 8 of us. But, well, we all had men with parachutes strapped to our backs and we were about to jump out of the plane anyway. So if it fell apart... big deal. We were ready for that.

It was a gorgeous flight up. It was a clear day, so we could actually see the snow covered mountains. Kate was getting the DVD, so we all got to look awkward for the video and watch Kate answer questions.

And then, suddently, the altimeter on Henk's wrist read 12. Which gets multiplied by 1000. We were at jumping altitude. 12000 feet!

Slowly, the plane emptied in front of me. First Florian was gone. Then there was no more Fabian. Then I watched as Kate and her tandem slid their way to the wide open door. A wide open door in a plane 12,000 feet in the air and going bloody fast! I was impressed to see Kate was helping to move towards the door. And then she was at the door and her legs were out and then she was out. For all her talk of being nervous and going splat, she seemed to have no problem falling out of that plane (I learned otherwise later).

Then it was my turn!!!! We were next to the cockpit, and then we were next to the door. And then I had my legs curled under the plane and my head tilted back. I had assumed the banana position. There was no looking down! And not because I didn't want to, but because you're not allowed to. You have to look where you want to go, and you do not want to go straight down when you leave the plane.

And then we were out of the plane. And my verticle speed went from 0 mph to 200 mph. And we were spinning and seeing beautiful blue green water and snow capped mountains and lots and lots of green green land. It was absolutely beautiful. I had a bit of trouble keeping the ridiculous grin on my face because when you're moving at 200 mph your cheek muscles wobble all over the place. It's like a very intense face massage. Quite an interesting feeling.

This kept going for about 45 seconds (at least that's how long they told us it would be... I didn't count, I promise). And then he told me it was time to open the parachute. And then there was a giant tug and that really comfortable harness got even more comfortable. And by more comfortable, I mean I found a black and blue on my thigh afterwards! Then came the only slightly unnerving part of the entire jumping experience, Henk told me he was going to make my harness more comfortable. If you're 5000+ feet in the air, do you really want somone making your harness more comfortable? I told him it was fine, so long as I was still attached to him when he was done!

It was a lot more comfortable and I was still sailing safetly above the earth. And then the 5 step lesson plan continued. We had had the opening attention grabber. That would be the free fall and parachute opening. All things were working. He had my attention. Now it was time to deliver new information. While we discussed all the beautiful scenery, Henk also explained to me how to make the parachute do what you want.

During this time, he used his mad steering skills to direct us in Kate's direction. He wanted to make sure we got on her video. But her guy was a meaning and started a quick turning descent right as we began closing in on camera range.

After the intro to new material, it was time for the guided practice. Yes. My skydiving experience involved guided practice. I grabbed the parachute handles. With Henk's hands still there to guide me, I started controlling the parachute. First I pulled down on both at the same time. This motion is like braking, and you slow down. At first, if you do it for long enough you start going faster. Next I learned how to do turns. First we turned to the left. You do this by holding your right hand in the neutral position and pulling down on the left. The longer you hold the turn, the faster you go!! Then we went back to neutral. Then right.

Then it was Independent Practice!!! SOOO AWESOME!!! As far as I know, I was flying that thing. Henk let go of the handles and I was in control. Of course, the entire parachute was still attached to him and he was telling me what to do, but I was pulling the strings! Quite literally. Talk about a high.

It was sooooo AWESOME!! It was quite tiring for the arms. Either that, or I was more nervous about "being in control" then I thought. Either way, I'll say it again. IT WAS AWESOME!!

Then it was time for the closing, when the teacher wraps the whole thing up. Apparently, he didn't trust me for the landing. Henk took back over the whole piloting thing and I prepared to be a passenger again. The landing was the silly part. Every guide does it a little bit different. Some just have to hold your legs straight out going into the groun, and you either land on your butt or they tell you to stand up. My guy apparently doesn't trust people's abs. He had me grab under my knees and tuck them up, so I was curled up in a little ball as we came in, feet well above the ground.

It was a very smooth landing, and I was told to stand up. Not butt landing for us!

That pretty much sums it up. It was awesome. Kate was glad that I made her go. The French boys were glad that we had told them we were going. Everyone had fun, was alive, and would totally do it again... even Kate.

Of course, then Kate confessed (and the DVD confirmed) she screamed the entire way down.