A day of epic proportions. It was one of those somewhat unplanned days that was spearheaded by a previous late night out. However, that wasn’t going to stop me from much, because as it would happen, I booked skydiving for 7:20am. Some days are just best started by jumping out of a plane, and why not today. Skydiving has been on my bucket list for a while now, so I figured while I am spending so much time in Byron, might as well cross it off the list, and there was no day better than today.
Everyone kept asking how nervous I was, and somehow that feeling never really happened until I was up in the plane watching the 6 other skydivers ahead of me topple out of the plane, plunging to their death sentences. The morning started with a brief safety introduction, suiting up in harnesses, and lining up to sit in a crop duster that would circle above Byron until we reached 14,000 feet. Then it was game on, the garage door of the plane whipped open, followed by an immediate gust of wind, only to be followed by pairs of skydivers being thrown into free fall. Before I knew it, I too was hurled out of the plane, not knowing what had struck me. The wind sucked the skin from my cheeks, adrenaline filled my body, and landscape whipped by below (as if I was really watching). The pull of the parachute and we were blissfully floating above Byron Bay, twisting and turning with the tug of an arm towards the landing ground, and less than a few minutes later it was all over.
I was back at the hostel before I could even comprehend what I had just done. I feel like I should have been on an adrenaline high for most of the day, but it just felt like your normal typical Wednesday. Ten in the morning rolled around, and just like any other day in Byron I was pushing the cleaning cart, scrubbing bathrooms, vacuuming sand, and throwing away beer bottles.
With clear blue sunny skies and a decent surf, we did what everyone else in Byron Bay had their eyes set on, and grabbed a couple of boards and headed out to catch a few waves. After an hour, our bodies were fatigued so we settled in to catch the sunset, and the last bit of warmth before the cool night air set in.
To complete the day, I ended up at yoga. A nice relaxing end to an adrenaline filled day. Having attended yoga everyday for the last three weeks, I am actually becoming remotely flexible. I don’t know the last time I could actually touch my toes. But I think my body was catching up with me as I definitely ended the class napping.
Skydiving, surfing and yoga, three reasons why I still haven’t left Byron
