Where I Get My Crazy :D

“So what happened, we’re not going to jump out of a plane??” said my mum Sherlynne in her thick Trini accent.

“Um… we can…” I replied.

This was part of a conversation that I had with her the last time I was visiting home. My response wasn’t even one of shock or surprise, but more like oh yeah, mum wanted to do that. It’s true, jumping out of a plane had been mentioned several times over the years, and clearly we had dropped the ball on organizing the event. This was my mum’s blunt reminder that we shouldn’t just talk about skydiving, we needed to do it. In fact, there’s been a lot of that sentiment this week during my visit home: Life’s too short- stop talking about things and just make them happen. For anyone who knows me, it’s no secret that I live my life this way, whether it’s fitness, travel, or crazy adventures. I’ve come to realize that I get my zest for life and sense of adventure from my mum!

Fast forward to this trip home. On occasion, we have family dinners, family bowling events, or even family movie night. Yesterday was Family Skydive Day. My mum and three siblings (Ry, Rob and Verene) were all on board. Some adrenaline-junkie friends also joined in, including my friend Dan, with whom I went tandem skydiving in Hawaii.

It was quite a long day filled with a bit of nerves, but mostly excitement. After sitting through a hilarious safety/training video that emphasized death as a possible outcome, we all signed our lives away and waited for our jumps. Before we knew it, we were all plunging to the earth from 13000 feet. Although it was a bit nerve-wracking, we all thought it was über awesome. Upon asking my mum if she was nervous, her response was “No, I’m excited!” Thanks to Jad for making her experience so amazing, and to J-rodd for capturing the jump beautifully on camera!

So to my mum: Thanks for passing on to me your crazy sense of adventure. It sure does make life super exciting 🙂 And even though you’re nervous about the Inca Trail, I know you’ll conquer that trek in Peru no problem because you’re awesome that way.

And the family adventures continue. As I’m writing this, my dad has just announced that he will try this whole skydiving thing when Rob does his jump (he had to reschedule). He has also announced that he will remind me where to find his life insurance policy. But with such a great and reputable company like Skydive Toronto, I know he’ll forget the worry and enjoy the amazing experience :).