Not once in my life of more than 19 years have I done anything as crazy as that which I participated in last Friday...I went skydiving. IT WAS INCREDIBLE!
Wednesday, two friends and I drove to Shelton, Washington, home of Kapowsin Air Sports. Myself and another friend took a class for our Level One Accelerated Free Fall jump, while our other friend sat in and refreshed himself as he'd already completed level one. After maybe about three hours we felt prepared. We had the exit count down: check in, check out, prop check, up, down, arch. We knew the hand signals, the free fall procedure, the landing maneuvers, and solutions to various parachute malfunctions and other emergencies. We were ready. The weather however was not. So we decided on Friday for our jump date because the forecast was favorable.
Sunny Friday morning came quickly and I was excited, but only to a certain extent because the idea of me jumping out of an airplane at 12,500 ft in a few hours didn't seem all that real. I went through the procedures and hand signals a few more times as I anxiously awaited my friend who was coming to pick me up. He came and we drove.
My dad and Adam also came out to the airport to watch, but in the building excitement Adam decided to sign up for a tandem jump. The tandem jumps don't require class time and this meant he would jump with my two friends and me.
We, our instructors, two camera divers, and a number of other divers all climbed aboard the aircraft. The plane ride itself was a unique experience. We were fairly cramped inside and excited chatter filled the cabin. The instructors went through a few checks with us and soon we were at 12,500 ft.
Up until this point I hadn't been overly nervous, but tension had been growing since take off. Now as the door slid open I was starting to enter almost a fight or flight mode. However in this odd situation, flight meant jumping and I wasn't about to start a fight. I'm not much of a risk taker and here I was about to jump out of an airplane. One of my friends was before me and he jumped out without a second of hesitation. It made me feel better, but any confidence I'd gained vanished as my instructors sat up and led me to the door. The idea of saying "no, I can't do this" crossed my mind, but I quickly batted it away. I was somewhat terrified but I refused to even consider backing down.
In my semi-emergency state of mind I forgot to grab the door frame with both hands, instead using only one hand as I assumed the position to begin the exit count. The instructors tried to tell me to use both hands, but it was quite loud now at the edge of the aircraft. After a second or two of unsuccessful communication, one of my instructors moved my free hand onto the door frame, then I understood. I went through the exit count and leaped into the air. I had no idea what to expect.
For a few seconds my mind was racing to grasp what had just occurred and what it was now experiencing. I wasn't thinking clearly as I kicked my legs a bit and wiggled around. Instead of arching out, I'd arched in. Soon I realized I had a procedure to go through. Once I began thinking more clearly I bettered my form. My instructors gave hand signals to help me along. I felt stable and I began to enjoy myself. I watched my altimeter as it approached 6,000 ft. At 5,500 ft I gave a big wave and pulled my chute.
There was an exciting jolt and I separated from my instructors just as I was supposed to.
The ride down with the chute was a lot of fun and a very calm experience. My landing was smooth and just like that it was over. It was a great adventure and I hungrily look forward to AFF 2.
The beard is gone. It had it's time and I enjoyed it, but I decided to go back to the old smooth face. I also got my hair trimmed up a bit. 
