After I saw that special, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I wanted to skydive. Yes, I may be the only person to watch a skydiving accident on TV and actually still want to jump out of a plane. But in all seriousness, skydiving is one of those things that I have always wanted to do. It’s on “my list.” And I started to think about this whole dating thing, and the reason I embarked on this 50 dates journey. As I mentioned before, it’s not necessarily to find Mr. Right, but more to nudge me to get out there and do new things. Well, this is new. And its something I have wanted to do. So this is the perfect example of what I should be pushing myself to do with a date. And besides, I don’t want my readers to get bored reading about me going on “50 dinners” – these dates need some spice, just like my life does!
Once I decided I wanted to go Skydiving with a DATE, the first person I contacted was BX (this was before we had our last and final date). As you may have already read, he respectfully declined citing his extreme fear of heights on his “get-out-of-date-free” card. On to my next victim. I decided to return to trusty ole Match.com. On your profile you can put a “headline” – something to grab someone’s attention as they are browsing through the sea of profiles. So I changed my headline to “Who wants to go skydiving – seriously this Saturday (and the date)” I got several responses. One guy started his e-mail by admitting that he didn’t think we were a good match, but that he would be willing to go skydiving with me anyways. No thanks. Then there was one guy who told me that he was terrified of skydiving, but would seriously consider it just to go out on a date with me. Flattering will get you everywhere with me…but after reading his profile, turns out we weren’t really a match.
Finally one e-mail caught my eye from a guy I’ll call NT. I went to check out his profile and the first words were “I’m a normal, stable person.” Hmmm – sounds good to me. I like stable. He also goes on to say that most of his family and friends would agree that he is “a bit odd.” Well, who isn’t odd, I reason to myself and throw caution to the wind. So I e-mail him back and say that I would love for him to join me. By this point it is already Friday, so I e-mail him my AIM screen name and phone number so that we can correspond quickly to make plans for the next day. He contacts me via AIM, and we have a good conversation back and forth. He seemed witty and fun, so I started to really get excited about the impending date. Later that day I call the place we agreed on and got the bad news that they were booked…and didn’t have an appointment available until next week! Arg. So much for being spontaneous. That night I look up a couple more places and decide to call our second choice, Lake Elsinore, in the morning. They were booked on Saturday, but they had openings on Sunday morning at 9:30 and 11. Since the place was a good hour and a half away from me, and I’m not good with mornings, I took the 11. I shared the good news NT and he was excited too. It worked out well for him because this new place was actually closer to where he lived. Since he was on my, we decided it would be best for me us to meet at his house and go from there. With the plans solidified, I started to get excited. Since we were now going on Sunday morning, I was trying to figure out how to work church into my weekend schedule. I could either go Saturday night or Sunday night. I opted for Saturday night – I figured going to church BEFORE I jumped out of a plane might be better – an extra prayer never hurts.
So Sunday morning rolls along and since we had agreed for me to meet at his house at 9:30, my alarm rang at 7:30. Ugh. After a couple of snoozes (okay, until about 8am), I finally hopped in the shower and proceeded to get ready. I left my house at 8:45am, A little later than I had hoped, but I was on the road. It took me about 45 minutes to get to his house, so I pulled up right on time. I called him from downstairs and he was giving me instructions to park, but I told him I didn’t mind driving seeing how I was already in my car and ready. I sat outside his condo in my car and did a last minute mirror check, but before I knew it he was standing at the passenger door and busted me in mid-primp. Eeeks. I quickly shut the mirror and let him in. We hugged from inside the car and then started our journey. We made a quick pit stop at Starbucks for coffee – for him, not me – and then we were really on our way.
In case you were wondering, I would not recommend meeting someone for the first time and then sitting in a car with them for 45 minutes. Its probably gonna be awkward. But we managed to stumble our way through. Where are you from? TX. What do you do? Marking director for an Industrial Plumbing company (at least he is not an actor). Etc. Etc. We talked about skydiving – he had actually been once before a few years back in Texas. He told me about the experience and he was really excited to be going again.
We pull up to the Skydiving place early, and my excitement is really starting to bubble up. We head in and start to fill out al the paperwork, watch the “you could die doing this” video, and then the shocker – we have to weigh-in. What? Get on a scale on the first date? Jumping out of a plane sounded less scary than that. This was either some unusual form torture or a way for them to weed out the chickens. Well, I’m no chicken! And luckily for me, they have a little private area with the scale and my date stayed in the waiting room. Phew – dodged that bullet.
The final thing I had to decide was whether or not I wanted to pay extra for the photo and video package. I was torn, because well…I’m cheap. I texted my best friend Brooke and asked her what she thought – made sense to ask a photographer for advice :) She pretty much told me that if I didn’t get the photo package that she would beat me up. So I did what she said. Because that’s what friends do.
Plus the thought of my faithful blog readers crying at night because I did not have photos or video to show them was just too much for me to bear. So I forked over the dough.
We were done with all this before 11, before our scheduled appointment time. They gave us name tags, a little slip of paper and told us to head over to the area where they prep you. We did as we were told and about 15 minutes later we had a little “class” with a couple of other people. They took us to a mock airplane door. They told us to kneel with one knee down, hold onto your harness, keep your neck back, and arch your back when you jump. They made each of us practice once with our instructor barely watching us. Was that all the instruction we would get? A 2 minute speech and one measly practice. I wanted more information. Oh well, the “instructor” was already gone. So if I wasn’t going to get more info, I might as well document it. I asked NT to take a picture of me at the practice site. He pretty much thought I was a dork, but did it anyways.
They told us to sit tight and wait for our names to be called in the waiting area – which was a very eclectic covered outdoor hangout with picnic tables.
It was packed and there were no tables open, so we found a spot nearby in the sun where we could watch the divers landing in the drop zone. There were a couple of big boulders that we plopped down on. This was our view.
We continued our small talk, but the conversation was stalling. Not only had we already had 45 minutes of conversation in the car, but now my mind was not fully focused on making conversation, it was focused on the fact that I was about to jump out of a plane.
30 minutes go by, and my excitement is turning to anxiousness. I just want my name to be called already! As he sits quietly, I’m pretty much bouncing off the walls – up and down from the rock, pacing, and fidgeting. I try to kill some time by taking photos. Smile NT:
I’m being goofy and I am a ball of energy at the moment, so I tell him to take a picture of me practicing my skydive. He is less than enthused, but obliges:
He doesn’t laugh. He either doesn’t find me funny or is nervous himself. I continually ask him how he is feeling – you nervous? You excited? Not really. He is just even keel, but he comments that he thinks my anxiousness is funny.
Another 30 minutes go by…so now an hour since our “lesson.” To say that I was restless might be the biggest understatement of the year. I’m continuing the small talk, but it is definitely a struggle.
Methodically about every 15 minutes they call for a group of skydivers and load up a plane. Every time they would call names out, I would freeze in my tracks, hoping it would be my name. But nothing. 2 planes are rotating, and skydivers just keep falling out of the sky.
I want to be that person in the parachute. When will they call my name???? Another 30 minutes go by. Now we have been waiting for an hour and a half.
I’m now starting to get really hungry and thirsty, but I’m afraid to partake in either. I don’t want to throw-up or have to pee, and we never know when they may call our names. For a person that likes to be in control of things, this place is horrible. Barely any instruction, no information, no timeline…we were definitely on a need to know basis, and that place felt they didn’t need to tell us anything!
Another 30 minutes. 2 hours have now passed since we started waiting.
“Nicole and NT”
Our names are FINALLY called. I jumped up so fast and I think I ran to the lady who called our names. They take us in a room to get suited up. At last I felt like we were making some progress! After we are all geared up, I ask NT to take another picture.
“You do know that you are getting the video and photo package, right?” he asks after he takes my photo. “Of course…but I’m excited” I replied.
After we were suited up – my instructor/tandem partner came over and introduced himself to me. He asked if I wanted to pull the rip cord, and of course I said yes. So he got me an altimeter to where on my wrist so I could monitor with him how high we were. I also tell him that I’m adventurous and he could do whatever “tricks” he wanted to (little did I know that I would soon regret my bravery). My videographer came over and introduced himself. He said we would shoot a little into to the video (I knew it would be cheesy, and boy did I deliver). My date was standing about 100 feet away from me during the video intro. After I was done, I walked back to meet him, and then it happened. We were standing there awkwardly and he said “I just have to do this in case we don’t make it down” and he leaned in and kissed me. It was very awkward – the line, the kiss, the eternity of silence afterwards. It must have been about 15 seconds after the kiss that I finally gave him an awkward smile back, but I didn’t really no what to say. It felt like it should have been a sweet, romantic moment, but it just wasn’t. I don’t know exactly why – I really wanted it to be, but it wasn’t.
After the kiss, our instructors told us it was time to go. Things moved pretty quickly after that. My instructor and I did one more “practice” out of a mock airplane door – but really I think it was just for the camera video taping us (more cheesiness). The plane pulled up and we all piled in. It was tight. There were 4 tandem jumpers (so 4 instructors with each), and then 4 solo skydivers. They told us we would get up to about 12,500 feet and then they would open the door. I was looking out the window and getting really excited. Butterflies were in my stomach. It was finally happening! I felt like we were getting really high, so I look down at my altimeter to see how high up we were.
It read at 2. Meaning we were only 2,000 feet up in the air.
What?! I figured we were nearly there, but we still had 10 THOUSAND more feet to go. It was at this point I realized that 12,500 feet was really freaking high, and that this was probably the stupidest idea that I have ever had to date. What was I doing? As I started to panic, I would attempt to mentally calm myself down, but then would just start to panic again. My rational brain took over and was beating up the impulsive side of my brain. “You are gonna get us killed” it screamed! Before I knew it, my instructor started hooking me up to him. He double and triple checked the connections, and then I told him to do it again. He was the one with the parachute, not me, so those connections to him where all I had. The door started to open, and I looked down at the earth that was miles away from me. The second the door was fully up, the solo skydivers jumped out of the plane one after another – I felt like I was in the middle of a bombing they were going so quick. Then my date NT stepped up, and he and his instructor did a back flip out of the plane. My instructor got me in position at the door. I couldn’t look down…I thought I was going to be sick…I couldn’t even think. And then the next thing I knew he said 1, 2, 3, and we jumped out of the plane. I started screaming instinctively and I had my eyes closed. The instructor taps my hands several times to let me know that I can let go of my harness and extend my arms, but I was paralyzed in fear. He taps them a few more times, and then finally I tell myself – open your eyes – enjoy this. Its only gonna last for 60 seconds. So I look around and see the camera guy in front of me. Oh My Gosh – I’m skydiving! I look down at the ground – we are freaking HIGH! The wind is blowing at my face sooo fast (probably because we are falling at 120 mph towards the ground). About 30 seconds into it, I think I realized that I hadn’t breathed since I jumped. I take a quick gasp of air in. Oh My Gosh – I’m skydiving! My instructor leads us in a quick spin – this must be the “tricks” I asked for. At that moment, I think that I may actually puke. But then I realize I didn’t ask what would happen if I puked. Would it spray back on my face? Oh well, guess it doesn’t matter now, because we have now officially left my stomach back a few hundred feet up – guess I can’t throw up without that. Oh My Gosh – I’m skydiving! When I first heard that the freefall would be about 60 seconds, that sound so short – just 1 minute? But when I was up there it felt like an eternity. My thoughts were coming in and out of my head so fast that I think I could have solved all of our world’s problems in that short skydive.
Next thing I know, my instructor motions for me that it is time to pull the cord. He guides my hand back and we let it rip. I’m yanked back up into the sky so fast and my legs fly up like a rag doll. The harness is so tight and uncomfortable now, but I look up at the parachute and it is open. Phew. I think we are good. My instructor tells me that he is going to loosen the connections so that it is a more comfortable ride down. He starts to loosen the ones by my thighs and I feel my body fall away from his.
WOOOAAAA WOOOAAA!! I scream. Don’t loosen it too much! These connections are all I got! He laughs and tells me its fine. We have about 5 minutes to coast down now. My instructor teaches me how to turn right, left and brake – he lets me navigate a bit. Then he takes the reigns back and does some tricks – some pretty crazy spins. I think I’m going to vomit again. Oh wait, I still never retrieved my stomach from before – I think I left it at 10,00 feet – guess I’m okay.
As we are approaching the ground, he tells me to lift my legs up for the landing. He brings us in and lands perfectly sanding up (I was happy to no have to do the sit-down landing). He unhooks me and seriously I’m in shock. Did I really just skydive? Am I really on the ground? Is this camera guy talking to me?
I was seriously shaking and had some much adrenaline pumping. NT had landed first and so I ran up to him and gave him a hug. We were laughing like school children – we just jumped out of a plane! How crazy!
So I’m sure you are all on the edge of your seats to see this video now. But I have some warnings. First of all – I’m a dork. No seriously, it’s SO bad that I almost did NOT post it, but I knew you all would never forgive me if I didn’t share it. The beginning of the video is the worst. But in my defense, I had now been on a blind date for 3 ½ hours, and I had been waiting patiently with nothing to do for 2 hours. I was going a little stir crazy and it showed. So please, go easy on me. Without further ado, here is the dorkiest skydiving video you will ever see:
Okay, stop laughing.
No seriously, stop laughing.
Are you still here? Please don’t run away. I hope you come back to this blog again. But if I never see you again…I understand.
So after my dorky jump, NT and I are hopped up on adrenaline. We even take this dorky picture.
Oh My Gosh – we just jumped out of a plane!
So we finish up our business – get our free t-shirt, I get my disk of photos, and we get our coupon to come back again. We load back up into my car and we start the drive back to his place. This is where the date started to really deflate. By this time we had already been with each other for 5 hours, we jumped out of a plane together, and quite frankly I was out of things to talk about on a first date. I still continue to try and ask some conversation starter questions, but honestly we had several long silent lulls – only broken up with me playfully saying “Man, what can you say after you have jumped out of a plane?!” He agreed – there was nothing to say.
As we are getting closer to his neck of the woods he asks me if I want to get a quick bite to eat and a beer. I hesitated. I was already out of conversation topics, but on the other hand, I was starved – I had not eaten ALL day (because of the whole skydiving ordeal). I was either going to drop him off and get fast food, or agree and get a bite to eat with him. I caved and said yes. The beer sounded good. I needed to take the edge off of this adrenaline! So we went to a bar near his house and ordered chili cheeseburgers and beers. It was extremely yummy. We were both very quiet during the lunch and used “watching the Olympics” as an excuse for our silence. Did I really care about the Biathlon or was I happy to just have an activity to hang out hats on?
After our quick meal and beer, we called it a day. I took him back to his condo and dropped him off outside. I gave him a hug and he then turned to get out of the car. However before he got out, he stopped in his tracks, turned back towards me, mumbled something, and I as I was trying to decipher what he said, he leaned in and pop kissed me again (do people still say pop kiss of is that reserved for middle school?). I later came to the conclusion that he said “I’m gonna take a leap here.” “Leap” must equal kiss.
Again, it was sweet. And should have been more romantic than it was, but it just….wasn’t.
I can’t explain it except that there were just no sparks. Even with sharing an experience as intense as skydiving with him, I didn’t feel connected to him. In hindsight, it might have been a better date if we were able to shorten the amount of downtime that we had to spend together. But then I think to myself – If this was the right person for me, we would have had plenty to talk about (maybe that is the idealist in me again).
So to sum it all up.
Skydiving was CRAZY – I’m so glad I did it. And although I may not become a professional skydiver, I would do it again. Even though watching that video makes me have butterflies all over again.
NT was sweet – a little quiet, a little on the dorky side (which is okay), but just no connection for me. After I got home, he hit me up on AIM and asked if the photos were any good – I sent him the photo of us in the plane and he appreciated it. We haven’t talked since, but the next time I see him online, maybe I will send him the link to the video – after all, I’m sure he would love to see himself do a back flip, and get the chance to laugh at me being a dork.
To see all the photos from the day, click this link
