Thing #16: Do a Parachute Jump

Skydive sounds better than parachute jump.  It just does.  I should have thought of that when I was making my list.

Skydive, parachute jump… call it what you will.  I did it. 

AnneMarie, Lucy, Marie and I choose to jump with Skydive Dubai.  If you look at their website, its obvious why- the dropzone over the Palm Islands has to be the most beautiful in the world.  Yeah, I’m using words like ‘dropzone’ now.  No biggie.

We arrived at the centre all jittery and skittish and were immediately asked to sign our lives away, about 150 times over.  I took a cursory glance through the papers and thought it best to just go with it. 

There’s my instructor Andy buckling me up.  Our conversation went a little like this:

Andy:  Okay so this is for that, and here’s you harness thingy, just step in here… on the plane I’ll let you know… when we get to 13,000 feet, just come over to me and I will…  and then once we’re out of the plane… free-falling for about… something about a banana… after about this many seconds that’s when… now this part’s important, when I say this, you do something… and…  that’s it.  Got that?

Me: Shit  Andy, I wasn’t listening to a thing you were saying.  I was just panicking in my head.

Andy:  Sigh

As I was boarding, I was struck by how tiny the plane was and the thought that this was the first time in my life I’d be present for take-off but not landing.

Once we were inside the plane, my nerves made me fidgety and I kept subconsciously attempting to tighten the buckles on my harness until asked to stop (and reminded that I didn’t have a clue what I was doing).  I fixated on insignificant details like my goggles and asked Andy about three times if I should put them on yet?  He was like ‘Stop with the goggles- they’re not going to save you!’

At 5,000 feet, we watched as two people did a jump, or rather were sucked out of the plane in some kind of vortex.  It was very unnerving  and as we continued to ascend I began philosophising over who originally came up with the idea of jumping out a plane for fun anyway?  That person may have been a little crazy.  I felt a little crazy too.

I was the first one to jump.  I make it sound like I wilfully did it but really Andy just sort of picked me up and threw us both out… it was so scary (I was literally shaking) but utterly incredible.

So beautiful- that’s the Palm Jumeirah (the skydive centre is located at its base) and in the background you can just about make out the famous World Islands (or what’s left of them).

The free--fall part seems to go on for ages and its difficult to catch your breath, but when that cord is finally pulled, it slows everything right down and it’s the closest thing you’ll ever feel to flying (what I imagine flying feels like).

I was overcome with emotion when we were all reunited after landing- its so hard to explain but I was simultaneously dealing with the buzzing adrenaline and feeling like a proud Mama that AnneMarie, Lucy and Marie had done it too!

Andy did this seven times that day (that has to be in the running for the coolest job on the planet).  I was ever-so-proud of myself for doing it just the once.

€5 has been donated to UNICEF Ireland for the completion of this ‘thing’.  Click here if you too would like to donate online.