As the plane soared 13 thousand feet in the air, I felt the wind hit my face like a tyrannical monsoon consuming me with the blind reasoning I took part in to arrive at such a daring point. I was about to jump from a plane over the iconic Palm Islands in the United Arab Emirates. Gazing toward the opening of the plane, I fearlessly took my position with my tandem attached behind me.

At that moment, a hand quickly came from behind me, grabbing my forehead and pulling it backward. An essential point in training that flew from my mind once I was gazing down thousands of feet from a plane with no door. In seconds, life for me was about to get interesting, and suddenly, like a hero from my favorite action movie, in one quick thrust forward, I jumped.

The Call to Adventure

Flashback: Five hours before my jump: I woke up at the opulent Raffles Hotel in Dubai, with exhilaration bubbling like a shaken soda can.

My agenda was deceptively straightforward: ascend into the heavens and leap into the abyss. This bold decision was catalyzed by a colleague from Bosnia who raved about skydiving being one of the most thrilling experiences he’s encountered, hence my adrenal-influenced decision to indulge.

I mean what could go wrong?

The Journey Begins

I chose Skydive Dubai to assist me on this seemingly perilous journey, and I arrived at their location just before midday by taxi.

The ride was relatively long, but there was a sigh of relief once I arrived, reinforcing the fact that my jump was inevitable.

As I approached the main building, the sight of skydivers gracefully drifting to earth like human dandelion spores only heightened my enthusiasm.

My arrival set the current stage, and reaching the point of no return was a pleasant breach of my foolhardy, adventurous side. The only thing left to do was engage in the next phase, which I did with eagerness.

Pre-Jump Antics

As I entered the building, I was dwarfed by a vast room filled with various nationalities and an infectious energy.

Anticipation crackled in the air, palpable enough to touch.

Some focused on directions given by instructors, some were handling parachutes, and others sat in front of a large flat-screen television, viewing videos of their death-defying adventure with cheers consuming the room after viewing the completion of each jump.

It only took a moment to get weighed in, and as I signed various parts of the agreement, a fleeting thought loomed over me about the loss of rights should all not go well.

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If there was ever a moment I considered bailing, it was at that precarious juncture, but fear was just excitement in disguise, albeit a very sneaky disguise but, second thoughts would not be a factor in this equation.

Meeting My Team

Moments later, I was introduced to my team, my Tandem from New Zealand, a relatively small-framed young lady who exuded calmness and assurance, to whom I would be attached as I dropped from the heavens.

Under her tutelage, I felt I could walk this proverbial tightrope in my sleep, and I more than appreciated her demeanor and understanding.

Also on our team was our videographer and photographer, a spirited gentleman from Spain who kept things lively throughout the entire experience. He would be diving before us as we left the plane.

Our next order of business was performing a short interview in front of the video camera. I then receive pertinent final instructions, and a small group of us are quickly whisked away to the flight line.

In route, I began to bombard my tandem with a myriad of questions:

• Exactly how high will we go?
• How long will the fall last?
• Do I wear a helmet?

She responded:

What good would a helmet do for you that high up.

Her answer seemed slightly comedic but honest. It was apparent that I was becoming riddled with nervousness, but she promptly answered all my other questions, assuring me that this would be a piece of cake.

The Ascension

Once we arrived at the ramp we board the plane like school kids on shots of adrenalin, and upon our ascending to the skies, we all joked and laughed as if excitement in its purest form was tethered to our spirits.

With this small band of enthusiasts, we were well on our way to embark on a journey that would redefine our understanding of thrill and adventure.

I was surrounded by people gearing up for freefall. Their mission became one with mine, which added to an already great atmosphere.

Continued banter filled the cabin, which was a distraction from the slow climb into the sky.

I then watched my adventurous colleagues playfully jump from the plane as I concluded my last video interview.

Amidst the electric atmosphere, it was finally my turn to leap.

The moment of truth had arrived.

With a burst of adrenaline, I teetered at the edge of the open plane, and like an actor getting into character, my fearless mode took over.

Thin air loomed through the plane’s entrance as I took in the moment, and with one quick thrust forward, I jumped.

The Long Way Down

The immediate feeling was shocking; I felt momentarily traumatized by the fall.

The unraveling of my senses was unsettling, and there was no time for perspective or to gather my balance; predictability went right out the door, and so did I.

There were no walls, no floors, just air.

Like a bird shot from the sky, I was headed for an internal panic, but that moment never materialized.

Before I reached that abysmal point, the tandem seamlessly gained our bearings.

It had to be the worst and most exhilarating 10 seconds of my life.

Yet I found my zen in the midst of plummeting earthwards, and life became good again.

I became one with reason once more and found myself in a very comfortable free fall.

My tandem was now in total control, the rush from the 120-mile-an-hour drop was more than satisfying, and the sight of Palm Jumeirah Island from a Birdseye view would instantly silence Dubai’s worst critic.

In a word, it was “EPIC.”

I even found time to pose for the camera on the way down.

The peace lingered for a while, yet it was briefly interrupted as the ripcord was pulled, opening the parachute.

We escalated back up to the heavens like a controlled rocket, only to slowly drift back down again.

I didn’t quite care for the feeling it gave me, but it was a necessary evil to stop us from becoming an unfamiliar spot on the ground below.

Floating down with the chute ejected was pleasant yet still somewhat uncomfortable.

Though the parachute was open, we were falling reasonably fast, and remnants of the g-force were still extreme.

A Safe Landing

I successfully managed the worst of it, and we continued drifting back to the earth like a delicate feather on a sound wind.

As our descent continued toward the drop zone, my tandem informed me that we were coming in quickly and that I would need to raise my legs and allow her to land.

Nevertheless, I remained calm and trusted what she had built; moments later, we touched down.

Conclusion: A Priceless Adventure

My relief was unparalleled as we landed, and the experience in its entirety was unbelievable.

To date, it is one of the most exciting things I’ve experienced.

A ticket to Dubai $1,400, a Jump with Skydive Dubai $400.00, my parachute opening and landing safely, priceless.

Remember, life’s too short to stay grounded.

Whether it’s skydiving or simply trying something new, embrace the unconventional.

After all, in the grand journey of life, it’s often the leaps into the unknown that bring the most rewarding moments.

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