inearnest

I thought that had been settled. NYC? No? Why don't you start from the reverse. Where have you not been before? Name some places you'd like to visit. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

If you hit it right w/o traffic it's a gorgeous ride. But you're right... planning around traffic can be a real bitch in NYC. I've done it before though. And as for Boston being the Bay Area of the east (which I saw on someone's post) having grown up in the Bay Area I'm insulted. But Boston is indeed cool. It's like having a step-brother to your cooler older brother... NYC. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

You drive slow. I'd say it's about an hour w/o traffic. And a year and a day with. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

Hit up NYC. Never a better place to visit and it has the Ranch and Cross Keys (and some place out on Long Island that I've never jumped from but has some beautiful photos on its site) within striking distance. Or you can just hit the city and relax. Or not relax. i'd say New York... but then again I'm biased. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

It's time to treat your friend like Old Yeller and just put him down. We put animals out of their misery for less... Good luck with that, though. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

Ah, yes. The clicky. And here I thought it was just a myth... --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

Hola, hola, I've taken to chronicling my skydiving adventures for this column I write; just the thoughts and experiences of a novice jumper. From time to time I've enjoyed linking them here, gathering feedback from more seasoned jumpers (which almost everyone here is), seeing what you all think. Here is the latest. http://www.maisonneuve.org/blog/index.php?itemid=692 Peace. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

Mil gracias. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

So I've taken to writing about my skydiving experiences in this blog column at Maisonneuve magazine. On Sunday of this past week I took my AFP graduation jump with my jump master, DK. If you want to check it out, it's linked below. Being new to the skydiving community, I get a huge kick out of sharing these with more seasoned jumpers. http://www.maisonneuve.org/blog/index.php?itemid=597 Don't know how to do the clicky thing, so my bad. Oh, and one diclaimer. The quotes from DK are not exact. They are approximations, mixed through the filters of memory and emotion and what his words felt like. Hope all are well. Peace. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

Wow... the word "admirable" has my head expanding... just playing. I think we were going 185-195... at least that's what the guy told me. Pretty amazing experience. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

Thought I would share something I wrote about a recent jumping experience... hope you all enjoy it. http://maisonneuve.org/blog/index.php?itemid=500 Sorry... not well versed on the clicky thing. Peace. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

I truly do hate being wrong... AFF... Accelerated.... got it. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

That would be effing brilliant. Do you have a contact over there? Any advice? Mil gracias. I cannot emphacize how amazing I've found the skydiving community to be. Just the most generous and enthusiastic people. Thanks again. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

Oh... and if you were so inclined, feel free to peruse my humble little space. It's how I get paid, and, conversely, how I pay for my Instructor Assisted Free Falls. Here endeth my first solo post on dropzone. Kind of like my first solo jump, I think, which should happen soon. Nervously. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

Me name be Jarret, basically I write this blog/column for a magazine named Maisonneuve, and of late have been writing about my experiences learning how to jump, the people I've encountered, the experiences I've had. There's been 3 so far, with the latest up today. Some of you have read these, but I wanted to share them, 1) because in just a month I have fallen in love with this sport and everything that comes with it, and 2) because I want to get it right when I put down my thoughts on jumping. If you have a second, check it out. The links are below. http://maisonneuve.org/blog/index.php?itemid=365 http://maisonneuve.org/blog/index.php?itemid=349 http://maisonneuve.org/blog/index.php?itemid=311 --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

I don't think she was trying to make it as safe as skiing at all. She took my on my first tandem. If anything, she has gone out of her way to tell me just how dangerous the sport is. Once I got hooked she went through painful detail about how, even if you are the safest, most diligent, most prepared jumper, things go wrong, and can go very wrong in a second. She has made the point to me that the best way to enjoy the sport is to learn everything you can, check everything three or four times, think through everything, mime your jump, make sure the DZ you go from is safe, that the people you are with are thorough.... and then just give yourself up to the air. I'm very new, so I don't have the experience, but I it seems to me that I can lessen my chances of something terrible happeneing if I go through everything, try to prepare for whatever may come, and hope that I'm ready when it does. She's mentored me through this, and although I'm going into my 4th jump this weekend, I could not have asked for a better mentor. --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

Since this is about as polarizing a topic as politics: GWB on signing the $417 Billion defense bill today: ``Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.'' --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice...... [url] --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

What's a "whuffo?" I'm a Newbie.... [url] --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

You guys fucking rule. This is so much fun...... but no worries, Mama Lucia. You didn't push me into the sport. You just gave me a memory I will never forget on my first jump, and something I'll share with you for the rest of my (what I'm now thinking will be rather short) life. Last weekend I was standing on the ground going over the elements my jump instructor wanted me to for my last jump before he okayed me for ground school. I was miming every motion I was going to be doing and this group of (really hot) girls who were there for their first tandem started giggling at me. I thought, "I'd rather look the fool to you than not be ready when my feet hit the sky." Just signing the waver that I could potentially pass on drove home how serious the consequences of this sport are. Just jumping out of the plane the first time drove home how much I want to do this, why I'm paying money I don't have to train to be not just good, but great, at this. One day, maybe. For now, I hope to learn as much as I possibly can, because I want to jump, not crash. [url] --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace

I signed up because I wanted to respond to this myself. I'm the kid who wrote the piece (well, pieces now) on Maisonneuve. Someone commented on my column that they had buried 9 people in 12 years, and the number struck me as extreme, and gave me a bit of a fright. I'm going on my 4th jump on Saturday, my first Instructor Assisted after ground school. The number just shook me a bit, and I asked Mama Lucia what the stats were, what other skydivers thought about this. That said... my experiences just training so far have been brilliant. Everyone I have encountered has been enthusiastic, stoked, geeked out and brilliant. It's quite a community, and one I hope to be a part of some day. Just wanted to say thanks. [url] --- "Once you jump. you'll never look up at the sky the same way again." Peace