Yes, this is a true statement. I jumped out of a plane the first time I ever boarded one and to this day, I have never landed in a plane.

One of my best friends from high school, Austin Wells, always wanted to go skydiving and we had talked about it a few times, but it had never amounted to anything. I was always too afraid to agree to go with him because I had never been on a plane before. Austin and I were in band together and we worked together in Key Club often. He has always been an active, go getter kind of guy and I love that about him. Sol, I decided after we graduated from high school together that I would go and pay for us to go skydiving as a graduation present.

We woke up early one morning about two months after graduation and drove from Slidell, Louisiana to Lumberton, Mississippi. We arrived at Gold Coast Skydivers and checked in for two tandem jump spots (you have to jump tandem with an instructor strapped to you the first time you sky dive). I was so nervous about jumping out of the plane that I hadn’t eaten and I was chewing off all my nails in anticipation.

After suiting up and meeting our instructors that we would be strapped to, we had a bit of a delay because it was raining off and on that day. Austin and I sat down at a table and we met a newlywed couple that was going to be on the plane with us. The couple asked Austin and I if we were nervous and we said yes. Then, Austin told them that it was my first time ever in a plane and the couple couldn’t believe it. They were in complete shock that I was going to jump out of a plane the first time I got in one. The couple told everyone else that was going to be on the plane with us, which just made me even more nervous.

When the rain finally stopped we boarded the plane and took off into the air. Once we approached 14,000 feet, the passengers dove out of the side of the plane one by one. I was freaking out and of course I was one of the last people to jump. I almost told the instructor that I didn’t want to jump anymore. But we did, we dove right into the open sky and it was one of the most liberating experiences of my life. The instructor showed me what rain looks like from in the air. I was able to see houses and cars all over Mississippi. It was amazing to see the world from that point of view. Free falling through the air like that was very thrilling, I felt like I was Superman flying through the sky. Jumping out of that plane made me feel like I could do anything. Can you believe I almost gave up that experience because I was afraid?

I am a firm believer people can do anything they set their minds to. I am telling you from experience that you should never make decisions in your life based on fear. If you do, you might just miss out on one of the greatest experiences you’ll ever be able to have. If you get the chance to study abroad, get an internship in a place that you aren’t familiar with, or get the chance for an unforgettable experience, you should do it. Take that step out of your comfort zone and you may just have one of the best experiences of your life.