Just hearing the word skydiving makes many people cringe and say, “I will never jump out of an airplane, are you crazy?!” A month ago I was one of those people who said that. I have more fears than most people and skydiving was definitely on top of my list of fears. But then my roommate won a free skydiving session and insisted that I join her and her sister. It would be the first time for all three of us. We called and put a deposit down. There was no backing out now, since I refuse to waste money. I didn’t think much about it after that until the night before. That’s when I wrote everyone in my family an e-mail letting them know I was going to jump out of a plane. I said I loved them just in case anything bad happened. We drove from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, which meant that I had two hours of thinking time...too much thinking time. Suddenly I realized I was about to jump 13,000 feet out of the sky! I don’t do spontaneous dangerous things. What the heck was I doing?

Once we arrived at our destination, we had a few minutes to watch an informational video and sign our life away on a little piece of white paper. Next thing I know we are 8,000 feet in the sky. My breathing became heavy and I gripped my hands tightly to the harness as I squeezed my eyes shut. Did I mention I had a fear of planes and heights? The instructor I was teamed up with to jump out of the plane was named Brian. Brian put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Open your eyes and take it all in.” I managed to squint just enough to see some light. Finally, I let loose and opened my eyes all the way. The view before me was life changing. Vast blue skies as we flew over the beautiful Pacific Ocean and never-ending flower fields.

Within minutes it was time to jump. I was the first to go and I was told to put my knees at the edge of the plane where the door was wide open. I whispered to myself Nike’s famous motto ”just do it” and moments later I was flying! I was free falling, eyes wide open, spinning, and screaming with joy. I felt so accomplished since I had just faced my biggest fear.

While I was falling, the camera man took pictures of me. I held up the palms of my hands that read, “wish you were here!” My family has always believed in me and told me I could do anything, but nobody ever thought I would go skydiving. I wish they had been with me falling through the sky, but a picture will have to do.

Brian let the parachute out and for a few glorious minutes we were gliding through a nice summer breeze thousands of feet up in the sky. Once we landed, all I could think about was how I wished I was still floating in the sky. Skydiving is something everyone should try. No matter how old you are, whether you are petrified of heights and planes, or you just want to try something new. It’s not as dangerous as it looks. Try it or give someone a great birthday or anniversary gift. It’s a trip of a lifetime. I now feel more confident in my everyday life because I truly believe I can do anything! And if I can do it, you can too!

-Morgan Ragan