The last year was a trial in adaptation, conflict management, and overcoming challenges against all odds. I am grateful that I was able to continue doing what I love, keeping a roof over my family’s head and food in their bellies. I am scarred from all the devastation caused by the pandemic and social disruption, and I can only hope that my existence can help change the world for the better. As I have stated before, my mission is to spread happiness while also increasing my own happiness. It’s a crucial step for me in achieving a level of contentment.
In an effort to build confidence, become more aware of my health, and to increase overall fulfillment of life, I finally took the leap I had been dreaming about since I was 5 years old — learning how to skydive. My journey started in the summer of 2014 while on a student project to document a skydiving boogie(a gathering of skydivers with parties and special classes, usually lasting a week or two) located at Lost Prairie Skydiving in Montana. I was quick to accept the opportunity to record sound and b-roll, but was truly excited for the content we would be covering. The icing was that we all would get to do a tandem skydive.
Since that experience, life just kept happening and I wasn’t able to return to the skies until September of 2020. I had booked my first ground school class earlier in 2020, and had expected it to be canceled due to the pandemic closures, but the day finally came. Not without obstacles though. First, I had mistakenly scheduled it in my calendar a week late, so I almost missed my chance to get registered in time, and I set a goal of getting my license by the end of the year. That turned out to just be a tiny speed bump, as I was able to reschedule and get in thankfully due to two others canceling. Honestly though, after being inside for so long, avoiding public places, not being around other people for months without a screen and internet connection between us, there was some urge to just stay home, stay safe, and what the hell am I thinking??
The feeling that I could just not go, find an excuse to cancel, or get anxious about going soon faded away after and my lust for flying just grew. Now at 40 total jumps, 39 after my tandem, I have become a part of a small number of people who have the license to jump from a perfectly good airplane. The confidence I have gained from completing this goal had bed through to other aspects of my life, forcing me out of my shell and making me step across the threshold, out into the great wide blue sky!
For more information on learning to skydive or how to do your first tandem, go to the USPA site and see how you can also fly!
If you skydive and are interested in video post-production services, reach out to me and see how we can collaborate together!