I have been a fiercely adventurous person since my early years when I had just learnt to ride a tricycle. I have loved sports- be it extreme or gentle. And so sometime back I had created a list of my to do extreme sports. One of the most thrilling- Sky Diving just got checked out. What I love with these experience is the spine chilling excitement that runs through me to put me to a different high.
But my sky diving story is not about adventure. It is romantic! I had never thought that the most adventurous sport to me would turn into the most romantic one! All credits to my best bud and hubby. We celebrated my first year in our first home, in US, in St. Louis in the most "heightened" way by "high" flying the SKY
The story goes like this!
2010- The year that changed me. In May, I traveled to US for the first time. I had two weekends for this trip. The first one went in touring the windy city- Chicago and travelling to St. Louis where I currently stay. The second weekend arrived. I and my hubby had planned for sky diving for this weekend since I was in Dubai. But it rained :( and so we withdrew the plans!In July I shifted my base for good to US. All of the coming weekends for next few months passed by in setting up my new place. Family and friends visited us. We always had sky diving in mind but we kept pushing it to the "next weekend". Came Fall in September and I saw the lovely colors. Up till then I thought trees can be only green! Come November and I experienced another "chill". We rafted 5 to 6 miles in the sub zero. I have been a rafting fan but something in chilly waters at sub zero was definitely a chill thrill. Loved every moment of it! Next few months where extreme winters. I witnessed first snow in my life time. Next came our anniversary. We took a trip to NYC, Istanbul(Turkey) and back home(India) to celebrate it. Sky diving was definitely set aside in these months. Next were April showers followed by May flowers- Spring bloom! It amazing to see how nature transforms. It was still cold and rainy to sky dive. June-and I was sun kissed!! I had never loved the sun so much when the days were bright and sunny. Having lived in Ahmedabad and Dubai I had never thought I would yearn for sun. Now was the time to swim, get out doors, to make that big jump. Double it up with my birthday. My hubby had already booked it up for my birthday weekend. But it turned out to be too hot to step out. And so I kept telling him that this jump could wait!
But, same time around in July we had a long weekend. And we saw this movie- ZNMD- Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara- 3 friends and extreme sports. Sky diving being one of them. That was the ultimate push. Since we were completing one year of togetherness that month he had an awesome chance to book a spot 10 days in advance. And I didnot even have whiff of it!! The previous night we celebrated at this awesome wine bar and the next day he said lets hike! But when he made a turn to an aviation club- I was shocked to the core! Thats when I realized that he had plan for me to defy the gravity! That moment was the most shocking and romantic- hard to say which one! To top it all- he said I have already made the payment. Being a gujju how could I let that go?!!
Next- when I was filling the disclaimer forms, I thought I would feel the fear while reading and filling details. But before that I had a liability to my name- "Zeal". So excitement and enthusiasm took me over. I was the first one to jump and hence I had no time to react much but gear up soon.
Next was my 35 minute ride by the plane to 11000 feet. My instructor told that I would hook you half way point. But he didn't till it was just 5 minutes before the actual jump. With each 100 feet rising up my heart was pacing faster. And then the moment when I was hooked. After 2 minutes my photographer opened the door and he stepped out. My instructor told me to step out. That moment was the moment of "heightened" fear. Next came 1..2..Arch..and out we were. "Heightened Fear" culminated into "Heightened Fun" and I free falling for almost 35 seconds(1 mile). And then the parachute opened and I defied the gravity for 8 minutes - free flying. Its amazing to see the world from a different angle, perspective, heights. I was definitely "HIGH"
I choose to stay high, stay zeal!!
But my sky diving story is not about adventure. It is romantic! I had never thought that the most adventurous sport to me would turn into the most romantic one! All credits to my best bud and hubby. We celebrated my first year in our first home, in US, in St. Louis in the most "heightened" way by "high" flying the SKY
The story goes like this!
2010- The year that changed me. In May, I traveled to US for the first time. I had two weekends for this trip. The first one went in touring the windy city- Chicago and travelling to St. Louis where I currently stay. The second weekend arrived. I and my hubby had planned for sky diving for this weekend since I was in Dubai. But it rained :( and so we withdrew the plans!In July I shifted my base for good to US. All of the coming weekends for next few months passed by in setting up my new place. Family and friends visited us. We always had sky diving in mind but we kept pushing it to the "next weekend". Came Fall in September and I saw the lovely colors. Up till then I thought trees can be only green! Come November and I experienced another "chill". We rafted 5 to 6 miles in the sub zero. I have been a rafting fan but something in chilly waters at sub zero was definitely a chill thrill. Loved every moment of it! Next few months where extreme winters. I witnessed first snow in my life time. Next came our anniversary. We took a trip to NYC, Istanbul(Turkey) and back home(India) to celebrate it. Sky diving was definitely set aside in these months. Next were April showers followed by May flowers- Spring bloom! It amazing to see how nature transforms. It was still cold and rainy to sky dive. June-and I was sun kissed!! I had never loved the sun so much when the days were bright and sunny. Having lived in Ahmedabad and Dubai I had never thought I would yearn for sun. Now was the time to swim, get out doors, to make that big jump. Double it up with my birthday. My hubby had already booked it up for my birthday weekend. But it turned out to be too hot to step out. And so I kept telling him that this jump could wait!
But, same time around in July we had a long weekend. And we saw this movie- ZNMD- Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara- 3 friends and extreme sports. Sky diving being one of them. That was the ultimate push. Since we were completing one year of togetherness that month he had an awesome chance to book a spot 10 days in advance. And I didnot even have whiff of it!! The previous night we celebrated at this awesome wine bar and the next day he said lets hike! But when he made a turn to an aviation club- I was shocked to the core! Thats when I realized that he had plan for me to defy the gravity! That moment was the most shocking and romantic- hard to say which one! To top it all- he said I have already made the payment. Being a gujju how could I let that go?!!
Next- when I was filling the disclaimer forms, I thought I would feel the fear while reading and filling details. But before that I had a liability to my name- "Zeal". So excitement and enthusiasm took me over. I was the first one to jump and hence I had no time to react much but gear up soon.
Next was my 35 minute ride by the plane to 11000 feet. My instructor told that I would hook you half way point. But he didn't till it was just 5 minutes before the actual jump. With each 100 feet rising up my heart was pacing faster. And then the moment when I was hooked. After 2 minutes my photographer opened the door and he stepped out. My instructor told me to step out. That moment was the moment of "heightened" fear. Next came 1..2..Arch..and out we were. "Heightened Fear" culminated into "Heightened Fun" and I free falling for almost 35 seconds(1 mile). And then the parachute opened and I defied the gravity for 8 minutes - free flying. Its amazing to see the world from a different angle, perspective, heights. I was definitely "HIGH"
I choose to stay high, stay zeal!!
