Managing Editor Maya Clement skydives on Oct. 22, 2023, her 18th birthday, after waiting 10 years for the opportunity. Throughout the jumping experience, Clement never stopped smiling. “When the plane finally reached the jumping height, I walked to the door and took the biggest leap of my life,” Clement wrote. “With my feet nowhere near the ground, I was happier than ever before, never wanting the experience to end.” Photo courtesy of Skydive Georgia
Managing Editor Maya Clement shares her experience going skydiving after waiting for 10 years.
What’s a better way to celebrate becoming an adult than jumping out of a plane?
For the last 10 years, I have promised myself, my friends and my family that I was going to go skydiving on my 18th birthday.
Last year, I finally made that dream come true.
I have always loved heights and any adrenaline rush activity from ziplining through the rainforest to scaling the side of a mountain after a five-mile-long hike. Even with my extracurricular activities, horseback riding and aerial dance, I loved the freedom the feeling of flight gave me.
I have always loved heights and any adrenaline rush activity from ziplining through the rainforest to scaling the side of a mountain after a five-mile-long hike. Even with my extracurricular activities, horseback riding and aerial dance, I loved the freedom the feeling of flight gave me.
Off the ground has been, and always will be, where I feel the safest and most comfortable.
While I don’t exactly remember how I came about the idea of skydiving, I know that each birthday, I counted down the years until I could finally take the leap. I didn’t care how many times people warned me or called me crazy, nothing was going to stop me.
On Oct. 22, 2023, my 18th birthday, I finally got to live my dream out.
After a two-hour car ride to Cedartown, Georgia and an hour of preparation for the dive, I boarded the small plane with my tandem guide. During the 14,500-foot climb, I could not stop smiling as I saw the buildings, cars, trees, fields and lakes get smaller and smaller.
When the plane reached the jumping height, I had absolutely no fear or doubts in my mind as I walked to the door and took the biggest leap of my life. I was finally getting to live the dream I had held onto for so long.
Managing Editor Maya Clement jumps out of a plane on Oct. 22, 2023. For the last 10 years, Clement has dreamed of going skydiving on her 18th birthday. “While the actual skydiving experience was amazing, it meant so much more to me than just a jump,” Clement wrote. “I proved to myself that when I have a goal and a dream, if I continue to chase it, I can achieve it.” Video courtesy of Skydive Georgia
Nothing will compare to the feeling of the wind rushing past my ears, blowing my hair in every direction possible. Or the feeling of gravity pulling my body down as I flew through the air. Or the feeling of confidence and freedom that skydiving gave me.
With my feet nowhere near the ground, I was happier than ever before, never wanting the experience to end.
While the actual skydiving experience was amazing, it meant so much more to me than just a jump. I proved to myself that when I have a goal and a dream, if I continue to chase it, I can achieve it.
I had 10 years to give up on my desire to go skydiving on my 18th birthday, but I didn’t. The feeling I had when I went skydiving was worth the wait, and so many other things will be, too. Throughout my life, there will be many things that I want to accomplish but will have to wait for. This experience taught me that as long as I keep the end goal in mind, nothing else will matter.
