Birds-eye View

Birds-eye View

I love birds. In winter even in snow I send my husband out to fill the bird feeder. I observe them so much that from their tweet I can distinguish if it is a Blue Jay or a Red Cardinal or a Chickadee. I had always wondered how it is to be like a bird. Especially those humming birds that fly so fast that we can’t keep track in which bush they hide. How would they see the world? And I had the experience once to view this world like a bird.

It was on this beautiful island where different shades of blue waters surrounded the small islands. Awesome sunrise and beautiful sunset adorn the skies that doesn’t fade away never once from the mind. My family was not up for it but still I wanted to experience it as I had waited for this trip for decades. The day came. When I went to the training zone I requested for a female tandem instructor(TI) and the one I got assigned was from France. Had a hard time understanding her instructions. She was preparing me for the jump. Finally the moment came to start the activity and while other families were happily hugging their beloved and gave a warm send off mine were having a sulky face. I was assigned a videographer too who captured this activity. He started his first picture with our family.

I waved my hands as I set off to the plane wearing the gear, with my TI. She was engaging me busily in conversation so that I do not show the slightest sign of fear. We were totally 5 groups and the plane was so noisy as it was climbing altitude. The pilot announced we were reaching the altitude of 14000 feet. I said "what 14000 it was mentioned as 8000 feet back at the office?". My TI asked does it make a difference if you fall from 14000 or 8000 feet. I could not think anything. One after the other each group were falling off the plane in front of my eyes and disappeared in a second while my turn came and we just reached the end of our seat close to the door I felt a push and off we went.

We dived and experienced a free fall. There was no ground rush sensation, no feeling of how far you are from the ground and no fear. I had rehearsed in my mind to not think anything just observe enjoy and feel the Free falling at 120 mph I felt as if I was not able to process everything that is happening at the same time. What I saw what I felt how my body was floating but still did not experience the weight of my TI above; It was like hovering over this giant factory fan. We had to stay flat with legs bent upwards and arms stretched. The wind speed was so high it felt like my skin was ripping off my cheeks. I had a vest and half sleeve shirt with leggings. So I was not feeling cold. I did not have the feeling of going in a roller coaster with stomach churning sensation and all.

The view from above was breathtaking. The blue ocean waters in cool shades the clouds the green lush mountains on the side and the clear deep blue skies curving on the horizon- it is nothing one can describe. I had a totally different perspective of seeing the world from above with the curves too. It was looking at the map of this island but in reality.

All along my videographer was shooting this and asking me to smile and asking me to say cheese. I could hear him at that height. I still remember the wind through my teeth when I tried to smile. I thought I am glad that I did not have much dental work done else who knows what will be floating in air …

My TI was asking me what’s next swimming with the dolphins over that shore? I said I love to but I had to learn swimming first … She laughed.. All these conversations happened while floating and then I felt a jerk. My TI’s Parachute opened. Though she gave me the handle to maneuver I denied keeping in mind few lives at stake including hers. And then we started gliding slowly now I could bring my feet down. I could sense little drizzle just a slight wet feeling from the moisture in the air. That’s when I noticed a beautiful fading rainbow (or maybe looked like a rainbow). The color was pretty mild but it was kind of circular.

I was feeling so elated with the whole experience as we were floating down gently like a feather and finally zooommmm we came lashing down like a rain on the grassy meadows. As I was taught I avoided landing first and let my TI take the lead and then I touched the ground. The amazing feeling of being back on ground was incredible. It was a once in a lifetime experience. But as an aftereffect it took my body couple of hours to come to an equilibrium.

I think now I can understand how birds see though they might have different perspective in their vision. What it feels like to flap & fly and glide through the air while making a gentle landing be it in land or in water. And if there was another life maybe I would want to be a bird again. (maybe TI or it is a wrong desire .. who knows!). With lots of hesitation I am sharing this just as an experience that I had sometime ago.