One tandem jump. Five minutes of freefall. A total shift in perspective. Read how skydiving scared the hell out of me and why I’d do it again.

Going skydiving for the first time changes everything. And I mean, everything.

It’s just you up there — even though you’re jumping tandem — that moment is utterly and completely your own. It’s freedom. I’d imagine the experience isn’t ever the same for any two people and varies wildly from one person to the next.

When I finally decided to take a leap of faith, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

For me, the desire to skydive was always present. But what really turned me on to the idea of skydiving was that I wanted to do something to prove to myself that we can take risks and taking these risks can result in something ridiculously amazing. I like to think of myself as a risk taker and adrenaline junkie, and what’s more adventurous and thrilling than putting your life on the line? If you die, you die. If you have a safe, successful jump, you don’t. And you get to live another day to tell the tale of how you overcame your ultimate fears.

After much thought, watching countless YouTube videos (including every single fail and near-death moment caught on film) and reading first-hand accounts of other peoples’ experiences, I was ready to create my own memories, to make the jump myself. And I couldn’t imagine a better way to welcome the New Year than by jumping out of a plane at 13,000 feet above Southern California while strapped to a complete stranger.

Of course, I had my hesitations: What if I freak out? What if I get to the open door and can’t jump out? What if I get motion sick and puke all over myself or pee my pants? What if I faint? Don’t some people spin out of control during free fall? Will I be able to breathe up there? What will happen if my harness comes loose? What if my instructor passes out? Will I get claustrophobic in the sardine-packed Cessna before we reach altitude? What if my chute doesn’t open? Is it possible to have a sudden fear of heights? What if I die? This facility has operated daily for the last 15 years with an untarnished safety record, right? I could die, right?!

But nothing could have prepared me for what came next.

The weather was pristine, not a cloud in the sky. It would have been the perfect summer day had it not been mid-December. Upon arrival, I anticipated having to endure a long wait for our turn (that’s what Yelp will do to your expectations). Anyway, five minutes after barely signing my life away into tiny little boxes because my hands were shaking so much, and being reminded numerous times that I MIGHT VERY WELL DIE, I was in the hangar meeting my easy going, friendly instructor and learning how to “fall properly” like a banana while being tightly harnessed up and told to “smile” so that my face wouldn’t look all distorted in the pictures.

The energy in the hangar was contagious. First time skydivers, enthusiastic solo jumpers, and seasoned instructors were waiting side-by-side next to trusted staff busy packing up the chutes.

Skydiving seems to be on everyone’s bucket list. At least, the majority of people I've encountered say, “One day I’m going to do it. One day.” But how many people actually choose to willingly jump out of a perfectly good airplane? Not many.

All that was left to do was board the tiny aircraft and wait excitedly as we reached altitude.

Nano-seconds before jumping, I knew that standing on the edge just behind that open door was what all the anxiety and nervousness and excitement and oh-my-god-am-I-really-fucking-doing-this? had been building up to. And when I finally jumped, a sense of peace and clarity came over me, while experiencing the most insane rush possible. Those are feelings you’d think wouldn’t normally go together, yet, in that moment that’s exactly what happens.

As you exit, there really isn’t a sudden drop feeling that you’d experience when riding on a roller coaster or falling quickly in an elevator. Due to a cushion of air created by the forward speed of the aircraft, your body is supported as you accelerate to terminal velocity! With no other objects to relate the fall to other than the sky, it’s more like a floating sensation.

The entire experience seemed to pass by all too swiftly to even process what was going on. It’s literally a sensory overload the moment you dive head first into the atmosphere and begin free falling at 120 mph.

When the parachute opened and swiftly slowed our speed down to 10 mph, my instructor Chris Warnock told me to “look up.” I don’t think I have ever been more relieved in my entire life. Then, we were just freely floating above the ground. He even let me grab a hold of the reigns for a moment, while he pointed to a few landmarks scattered alongside the Pacific Ocean.

Before long, it was time to prepare to land. With my legs pulled up towards my chest, we quickly approached the soft sand riverbed. When we landed, my legs were so weak from excitement that it took me a moment to get my footing and stand up. But I was happy to be alive and thrilled that I just conquered one of my biggest fears and crossed off a bucket list item all in one afternoon.

Like I said, skydiving really does change things.

The jump lasts about five minutes, but the mental change you go through from the whole ordeal stays with you for much longer. It hasn’t been that long since I jumped, so I don’t know if it’s a life-long change, but at the very least I know the next time I'm doubting myself about doing something because it seems scary, but holds the possibility of a positive result, making the choice to go through with it will be a breeze. And I think that, in itself, is really something. Everything in life worth doing is on the other side of fear.

An experience like this — and I don’t mean just the five minutes worth of free falling and floating mid-air, but from the moment you decide you’re going to do it and everything that follows — gives you a real sense of perspective. And I crave that because I know how easy it is to get lost in my head sometimes and it’s good to be yanked out from time to time back into reality.

Skydiving is a rush unlike anything else in the world. It’s one of those things in life that you have to experience for yourself to truly understand and appreciate. So, if you’ve been thinking about doing it, but have been too afraid to take the leap, I suggest you make that reservation.