Feelin Alive!

I never once thought jumping out of a perfectly good airplane was a great idea growing up. If someone were to ask me to go skydiving several years ago because it was on their bucket list, I would’ve  told them to count this girl out because it was on my “NO FREAKIN WAY” list.  So how did I find myself dangling my legs out of a tiny airplane 14,000 ft in the air, strapped bum to cojones to a man I just met moments earlier, thinking “Thank God one of us has a pair!”???  I’d have to say that the last few years of life experiences has led me to this point. I decided a few years ago that I needed more to this life than what I had so I began my “Kristy Adventures”. Scary I know, as if life as a Massey isn’t adventure enough. It began with deciding to run a half marathon, then a full marathon, then another and another and many other half’s. I then tackled rock climbing, traveling alone, hiking alone, and biking across the state of SC alone.  All these things and others had their own fear attached to them.  I had to look that fear in the face and either enjoy the adventure with the fear, or walk away because the fear overcame me.  Now many things on my “No FREAKIN WAY” list are slowly moving over to my “BUCKET”  list. With each adventure I cross off  my list, I am learning to live life feeling alive. Fear will always be there. I just have to find fun ways to use that fear to empower me instead of succumb to the fear and halt my adventures. Over the last few years, I have been making my fear my strength to move me to the next level. I am learning to see fear as my friend who helps me get to where I want to go, instead of my foe.  Getting off that couch and out of the house and doing something you’re afraid of , this is what life is about! When I do that I feel like I am truly ALIVE!

So If you have skydiving on your “NO FREAKIN WAY” list, having been there myself, I encourage you to try it! You might love it, you might hate it, but YOU TRIED IT! For me it was one of the most fun experiences I have done so far.

Here’s to looking at my fear in its face with a smile!   Images are by Connor Bost. Here is a link if  you want to see all of my skydiving video experience.

MY SUPPORT GROUP

Apparently as I was talking to my photographer, Scott and Paige talked to Danny about my inherent fear of heights and falling. He told me all I had to do was smile and let gravity and him do the rest. I think I can do that!

“Now I’M Free, Free Fallin”

Some thoughts flowing through my head: Really?, hang my legs out of the plane? dude no way…Wow, this is surreal, He seriously just skipped three…Holy (*#%&(@#!!!… OMG i am really doing this, whatever this is… falling, I guess, but i don’t feel like I am falling, breathe Kristy Ann, just keep breathing because it may be my last few breaths, why do my lungs really hurt and why do I feel like I have an elephant on my chest, this is freakin amazing, this doesn’t feel like falling, it feels more like being a dog sticking his head out the window while driving down the road going 120 mph, my cheeks better not be flapping for these pictures, that air dance with Connor is the most amazing dance EVER!,”Now I’m Free, Free Fallin” can we please do that again? Breathe Kristy, Breathe, surfing the clouds, hell yeah!, I’m a bird, I’m a Plane, I’m SuperMan!  I so want this to last, Dang it Danny, not yet… Wow! Danny knows how to put on the brakes! Dead silence… Peace, serenity…I’m in Awe as we take our time floating down. Danny then showed me how to steer the amazing contraption that allowed us to glide with the wind. He showed me where Paige and Scott were doing the same thing as well as the rain in the distance that was heading our way. The gliding down was actually my favorite part of the whole 5 minute experience, although hanging my legs out of the plane was a moment I will forever remember…That’s when time stood still and I was a tiny bit proud of myself for sitting there and looking at my fear in the face and saying “oh, hell yeah, watch this!!” as well as “Oh dear Jesus, protect us!”

 

Final Thoughts: I am an adrenaline junkie, and I have to this again!

The thrill of overcoming something that seems so big and so outrageous is the best feeling in life. It makes me feel like I am truly ALIVE.  So my advise to you, take on the things that you fear and live a little! Like my kids say… YOLO! You only live once!