If You're Going to Die...

... do it from 15,000 feet above something beautiful.






I'm back in the swing of things and feel the need to write, post, update... you know - to keep ya'll up on things. I'll be posting smaller posts for a while now, more directed towards individual events for the next couple days. Keep reading!

So a while back Chris and I were in Turangi and planning our trip up the Tongariro Crossing (which I told you about in the last proper post), but before we actually went on our hike, we weighed our options for the day. After getting a late start on a blisteringly hot day, we opted to put off sweating and grunting as I casually said, "How about we do that tomorrow and go skydiving today?"

We headed to the village of Taupo on the lake of the same name (uh, Taupo) and were picked up in a limousine, dragged to the airport, and suited up. We put on super-hot blue jumpsuits, very tight harnesses, and were issued our beanies, oxygen masks, and goggles. Chris and I lucked out and were put into the hot pink airplane (fun, huh?) and flown up to 15,000 feet. Here's what we looked like with our respective instructors. Isn't my boyfriend a dork?


A few things about skydiving for me, personally. 1. I'm terrified of heights, but there is this weird disconnect when you are that high in the air. You get that you're high, that everything is really tiny below n' all that... but I didn't feel scared the same way that a ferris wheel freaks me out. 2. Nothing is pretty about plastic goggles and a leather beanie strapped to your head - especially if said head is a bit on the pumpkin side of things. 3. There are two parts to jumping - the freefall and the parachuting down to the earth. When offered the 15,000 (as opposed to the 12,000), I said, "Hell, I can do 15k!". With the higher height all you get is a longer freefall (the terrifying part) and the same length of parachute time. I think I was hustled... 4. After landing back on planet Earth, I got super tired. With the adrenaline rushing through you at such high levels, you really crash and feel like a nap - at least Chris and I did.

This was Chris' 4th jump, incidentally... and my, of course, first.


Help... I'm falling towards the earth attached only to Henk and a teal and pink parachute!

Look, we made it and we're still in love... (and Chris is still smiling like a giddy little boy). Now, Chris and I both opted for DVDs and the whole bit to commemorate our jump. His turned out great - and his instructor even got him to pretend he was a tiger for the camera (hilarity!!). For those of you who know me well, are related to me, or otherwise think you might rate with me... I will save you from seeing my DVD. Really... I'm doing it to protect you.