Skydiving in Byron Bay

Up Up and Awayyyy...

During my visit to Byron Bay, I went skydiving.  Now don't be fooled, I was terrified before I took the plunge.  In the shuttle on the way to the skydiving place, I suddenly became very nervous.  Surprisingly, it wasn't until then that I became scared, but a rush of nerves came over me, and I couldn't believe in a short while, I'd be jumping out of a plane!  Images came racing through my mind of instances seen on TV when people went skydiving and almost, or did, plummet to their death.  I had to give myself a reality check and tell myself, "Kelsey, don't be a baby, you're going to be fine!"  So, after a bit of instruction and getting harnessed in to my skydiving gear, away I went.  I boarded the plane, and there was no turning back!

In the plane getting ready to jump...

About to go...

And we are off!!

Notice the plane we jumped out of, right above!

Nice View!

I have a video of my skydiving experience, and if I can figure out a way to post it on here later, I definitely will!!  For now, all I have to show is the photos taken during my fall.  The scariest thing, was seeing other people go before me.  It was as if they disappeared instantly.  I was the last one to jump, and no sooner did I stick my feet out of the plane, I was suddenly pushed out and free falling from 14,000 feet in the sky.  The free fall was about one minute long, and was amazing!  The only time that I felt that feeling you get in your stomach that you are falling, was right when I jumped out of the plane.  For the rest of the free fall, it felt calm, quiet, windy, and amazing!  I fell 3 kilometers in 1 minute.  For the American metric system, that means I fell about 2 miles in 1 minute...CRAZY I know.  

This is when the parachute came up.

About to land...

And finally, the landing!

Then the parachute came up, and after that it was quite slow and calm.  The view was amazing, and when I was up above, what felt like all of Australia, I just felt nostalgic and wonderful.  It is a feeling that I can't explain, but I think everyone has when they go skydiving.  Skydiving gives you a bit of a high.  All in all, from the time I jumped out of the plane to the time I landed, it was about 7 minutes.  Those are 7 minutes of my life that I will never forget, and I am lucky enough to have it all on video!  

Right after the big landing.

An instructor, Jodi, Lisa, and Me.

Jodi and I glad we are still alive!

After I landed, I was released from the person behind me.  My friends Jodi and Lisa were waiting for me on the ground, and greeted me straight away.  We were all so happy that we did skydiving, and especially that we did it in such a gorgeous location!  Skydiving was more or less something to cross off my bucket list.  It was something I wanted to do before I die, and I thought I would never do it again once I checked it off my list.  Well, now it is checked off my list, and I definitely do not feel the need to go skydiving any time in the near future, but I think perhaps I'd do it again, if a nice opportunity came along!  It was great fun, and I recommend anyone thinking of taking the big leap and jumping out of a plane, to definitely do it.  I wise man once said, "In life, you will regret more what you didn't do, than what you did do."

The plane I jumped out of, in the background :)