Like most of my plans, I didn't think this would become a reality when I first thought of it, but I asked around and the four Norwegian girls said that they would do it with me (Noor didn't because he said he 'didn't feel like dying yet')! We booked a week in advance and every day before we went I checked the weather forecast. I was terrified that, like almost every other birthday I've had, it would pour down with rain, which the forecast said it would - and that would mean that we wouldn't have been able to do the jump. Fortunately, the sun was shining and there were hardly any clouds in the sky!
The girls came over for a birthday breakfast of pancakes and then we left! We arrived at the office and had to sign several legal forms ... "I understand that I will be in very close proximity to the tandem jumper" ... "Possible outcomes: death, disability, broken bones, etc." - so reassuring! We then put on our harnesses and had a quick tutorial of what to do when we jumped out. Two seconds later we had all forgotten because we were very, very excited!
A short bus ride later we'd arrived at a small airport where the blue and yellow plane was waiting and the eight of us doing the jump crammed ourself into it with our instructors and then we set off. When the plane left the ground that's when it started to get real, and I started to get nervous, but the fear was soon overridden by excitement and admiration of the view we were getting. When we'd finally climbed to 14,000 feet (about 4,200 m) and just like that, the door was open and people were dropping out of the plane. Surprisingly I wasn't scared or nervous at this point - I was just pumped and couldn't wait to get out there! I was the seventh out of the plane and oh my word - what an amazing feeling. Suddenly all my exam stress and other worries were gone and even though the wind was rushing past my ears so fast that I couldn't even hear myself screaming (which I did... a lot) it was kind of peaceful!
After a while of spinning and tumbling in the air my instructor pulled the chord and the parachute opened. Five minutes later and we'd landed. Flic, Casey, Tash and Mike had come to see us land, and when they asked how it was we just couldn't explain! The only thing we could say was that it was amazing, but none of us could quite put the experience into words, it's something you just have to do (so if you get the chance, then DO IT!!).
Later that evening, my house mate Katy finally had her charity waxing. At the start of the semester, she asked around and got five of the boys who lived in Kooloobong to agree to potentially get their legs waxed - and I was one of them. People would pay money to vote for whoever they wanted this to happen to, and the money would go towards equipment to teach people to swim in the Maldives because they've developed a fear of the ocean.
On the night, it turned out that Hamish had won (or lost) and had his legs waxed, so my legs were safe. Unfortunately for me, I'd agreed to get my chest waxed if Katy could raise at least $50 on the night, and she raised well over that. Once they were finished with H's legs, I was up. The pain was unreal! I finally understand why Steve Carell screamed "KELLY CLARKSON" when he had it done in The 40 Year Old Virgin.
After the waxing, a few of us who either didn't have exams, or whose exams weren't until next week decided that we should celebrate my coming of age. So Flic, Nat, Casey, Mike, my newly smooth chest and I finished a bottle of tequila, and had plenty of goon to wash it down... Instead of going out, we ended up just stopping on a field near our accommodation and sang, danced and drank until the early morning. It was probably the most drunk I've been since I got to Australia... What a great night! Needless to say I was feeling pretty fragile this morning, but a quick dip in the sea solved that one.
Great birthday, thank you for everyone who made it special :)
You were drunk that night? I didn't realise. It was a very sweet day.
ReplyDelete