On September 4th 2016, I headed out to West Tennessee Skydiving, in Whiteville, Tennessee. I had no real idea of what I was in for. It had all started five days prior to that, when a stranger on Facebook inboxed me and asked me to jump out of a plane with him, telling me I should experience skydiving. That was not the typical message I normally received. It helped spark my curiosity that his profile picture was him in midflight from over 14,000 feet in the air. His name is Jerry, he is a small business owner in Memphis, and skydiving is his hobby, or rather "sport" of choice. I was instantly intrigued! I messaged back to ask for details, and his in-depth information on what skydiving is, the great benefit it provides, and how the amazing people who own this exceptional place make it all come together, offered me all I needed to make further arrangements. I was able to find more information out about West Tennessee Skydiving online, and from there began my journey to this quaint piece of land in a most unfamiliar location in Tennessee.

(Jamie Bodiford left, Jerry Sinclair right)

There was nothing left to do but show up that following Sunday, and take the leap! I live two hours away in a small town outside of Tupelo. I was familiar with Memphis, and a few smaller towns on the outskirts, but Whiteville, Tennessee was not one of them. As I began making my way closer and closer to the green dot on GPS, I was surprised to see what a beautiful area I was entering. The large green grassy fields nestled in between the most perfectly picturesque rows of corn, the sun out high and bright, and the amount of sheer open space, set the stage nicely for where I was about to be.

I pulled up to this small parking lot near the edge of a giant green flat field. There was a huge blue metal building (the hanger) that had an opening in the center part where several large planes were exposed. On the other side of this large building was a smaller field house, with an in ground pool and large covered patio area that sat alongside of it. Picnic tables outside, and miles of wide open space surrounding you, definitely had a way of making this experience feel all the more grand in scale. When I walked inside, I found a large designated area where skydivers were preparing equipment, and for the most part, just hanging out. The environment was not what I was expecting. Everything was so well kept, clean, and manicured. I was instantly greeted by Jerry, who was awaiting my arrival, and then soon after, the employees who work there. West Tennessee Skydiving was built and established by Michael Mullins, who is not only the owner, but the pilot as well. He was somewhat a large man, an older man, whom without saying much to me, had a way of making his presence known. I found myself comforted and confident that this was our pilot. Some people just have a likeable, distinct presence about themselves without even trying, Michael Mullins is one of them. Seeing all the skydivers so relaxed, and happy as they joked with each other, sitting there talking so calmly, had me wondering: were these not adrenaline seeking junkies? Who were all these calm, smiling, somewhat enchanting people sitting all around me? They looked so normal, like the second grade teacher at my daughter's school, or the lady who always checks me out on Sunday at my local grocery store. My preconceived notions on this whole experience were slowly dying off one by one.

(Diana Lopez far left, Jamie Bodiford center, Heather Sutherland right)

The ages varied of this small community of skydivers. There was a young girl by the name of Diana Lopez, who was 19 and getting ready to make her first solo jump. She had such a beautiful glow on her face. I also had the pleasure of meeting Gary Peek, who perhaps was the oldest and most experienced skydiver there, very intelligent, and educated me greatly on this subject. I ventured off a little to look more closely at this facility, and the impressive pictures on the wall. The back story on this place only got cooler through my mild investigation. It turns out that Michael Mullins has five sons, all of whom are pilots and skydivers as well. The friendly, beautiful lady at the counter taking care of the paper details, was his oldest son's wife, Kelly Mullins. This was clearly a family affair, right down to his adorable grandson giggling as he ran through. The next skydiver I met had quite the story. Her name was Elizabeth Young. She was petite, and humble in spirit. She stood reverently as she explained the passing of her husband 10 years prior, the year of fighting cancer, and the love she formed in the sky with another skydiver there at West Tennessee, whom she met and married there at the Drop Zone.They sealed their vows with the form of wedding rings in the sky. I was very impressed by her graceful way of speaking. She was poised, and spoke of skydiving as if it were a healing art form. Her daughter, age 14, was there with them that day and was even a skydiver herself. I was just as impressed with the people there, as much as I was the place.

(Elizabeth Young left, Jamie Bodiford right)

The next step was the last step before I would make my way to the fastest plane, also referred to as "jump ship" in the United States. I would be jumping from an altitude of 14,500 feet in the air. I finally was ready to meet my tandem instructor, and learn the necessary steps I would need to know in order to jump. A tandem jump is where you jump attached to a skilled and professional skydiver. Anyone making their first jump out of a plane must do a tandem jump. Let's be honest, would anyone jumping out of a plane for the first time want it any other way...? Jerry walked me over to the demo plane inside the hanger where I would have a detailed run through of what would be awaiting for me shortly in the sky. My tandem instructor's name was Johnny Havron, late 30s, little rugged, and screamed free spirit, I instantly felt a bond with him. He was very outgoing, thorough in his instructions, but also light hearted and humorous. After a short, but in-depth training lesson, I was ready to go put on the suit, the harness, and the rest of the gear and get on the plane. Just before we loaded up to head out, Charlie Mullins walked up to me to let me know he would be making my skydiving video. I was thrilled that he was going to be documenting this monumental event for me. I had some butterflies as my instructor and I, along with the rest of the skydivers, found our cozy little seat beside each other. As the plane ascended, I could feel my nerves kick in. I looked around me, but didn't seem to notice anyone looking scared, or nervous at all. The competitive nature in me emerged, and I was ready to do it!

(Johnny Havron left, Jamie Bodiford right)

The plane ride was exhilarating on its own. The climb up was fast, and intensified my nerves inside! When we reached our desired altitude, the plane lost gravity for a moment (all of which I was prepped for). The butterflies gave me that quick thrill, and now I wanted more! Everyone got up to their feet in a somewhat squat position (due to the low cabin) and the door opened! The line of divers shortened as each jumped quickly, and I soon found myself at the door, feet on the edge, smile on my face, and with that... I jumped! I'm not sure I can do justice to the experience by trying to put it into words; however, that is exactly what I will attempt to do.

The rush was instant, although after a few seconds the shock settled and it felt like I stabilized. I have wondered my whole life what it would be like to fly. In that moment, in those 60 seconds of free falling, I was able to see. I felt as though I was given a super power, the power of flight, and as my body soared without wings, I was invincible. I opened my arms and fully extended them out. The wind was so strong, and I was thankful for the goggles put on me in flight before we jumped. The exhilarating feeling was like none other I have ever felt. It wasn't a butterfly in my stomach kind of feel at that point, it wasn’t a roller coaster scare kind of thing either. It was sheer fun! Like wow I don't want this to end!

Here's the incredibly cool and unexpected part, there was a whole other level of fun built in this skydiving adventure I hadn't considered, the part after the free fall, when you pull the parachute and come to a slow soft sail through the sky. My tandem instructor swooped us through the clouds, and at one point I remember asking him, "is this real? Is this really happening?" It felt like a dream. There I was, hovering over the sky, it was just as quiet as it could be. The view was thought provoking of this whole big world. It never felt like I was falling, but rather flying. It was very surreal to experience flight on that level. Johnny quickly reminded me as we were soaring through the sky, that this was indeed real. I had no nerves at all for this part, and I felt very safe and comfortable with him and each part of my adventure.

When we landed, I found myself feeling emotional. I wanted to cry, for no other reason than how sensational the whole thing was! I remember my first thought being, "this will not be the only time I ever do this." It was simply wonderful, and I will be back in my near future to take this in all over again!

Soon after landing, my peers, the new family and friends I had made, stood me in front of the large flat screen on the wall, as they played my video recorded by Charlie Mullins. It was the perfect conclusion to this most spectacular event. The video captured my entire daring adventure in just a few minutes, and my heart was so full with joy, and pride.

As I sat in awe after touching back on the ground from a fall from 14,500 feet in the air, I realized this whole experience was similar to starting college for the first time. Okay yes, these two events might seem as though they are completely unrelatable, but the excitement, fear, surprise, exceeding of expectations, bonding with your fellow counterparts so quickly. It was all just a reminder that taking that leap of faith, reaching for something greater than just okay, pushing yourself to be fearless, and willing to learn new things... maybe they are similar situations, maybe perhaps they are both courageous endeavors. Maybe skydiving was just like college, in the sense that it is not a one-time thing, it permanently affects you, it gives you more depth and knowledge, it opens up your sense to not just an idea, but a way of life. I am thankful for many things, being Ole Miss alumni, and now a sky dweller in training, are two I will forever remain excited about!