My Rainbow in the Sky

Preparing to land

The first time I jumped this canopy, I was distracted by the sheer beauty of the sun streaming through the brightly colored cells.

It used to be that as soon as my parachute opened, my brain would freeze in terror as I hung helplessly four or five thousand feet above the earth, looking down at where I needed to land, praying to somehow magically end up where I needed to be at the right altitudes.

These days, I squeal in delight when the slider comes down and my fall rate slows from 120 mph to a gentle glide as free fall transitions to canopy time. I collapse my slider, do canopy control checks, clear my airspace (not necessarily in that order), and then fly my baby, my trusty, reliable parachute, pushing its limits, learning the controls, finding the sweet spot, playing in the wind....

And now, I am gaining the ability to take in more of the beauty and solitude of these eagle-eye views, truly being present in those adrenaline soaked, spectacular moments that now comprise more and more of my life.

As a friend of mine told me once after a coached jump, "Girl, you fall out of airplanes!" Yes. Yes, I do. :)

I am a lucky girl.

I get to make rainbows in the sky.

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Out of Her Mind -- Musings on Education and Life

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