So how do you celebrate turning 23 when you are in Australia? The answer was troubling me somewhat until two days before my birthday I was given a free sky dive by the hostel I work for. OK, so I have been shooting my mouth of in the past about wanting to throw myself from a plane from a God-awful height, but now the prospect was actually thrown full force in my face - the temptation to turn and run was rather large! Despite this however, the feeling that I had been backed in a corner by being given the 14,000 foot sky dive for free didn't really give me any option to back out. But this did not stop the 48 hours of dread prior to the event. Believe me, I was counting down to the moment I had to hurl myself out and was attempting to put the time to good use (checking all my insurance policies were up to date and making sure all my clothes were clean and dry.... I would have hated anyone to have to clear dirty t-shirts out of my locker!) So the day arrived, my birthday (yay happy feeling) the sky dive (oh no) and the remnants of the night before (please let no one play music too loudly). Enter the sky dive company, and right on cue a few jokes about how inexperienced the guy I was going to be strapped to was. This was not good really, it may have been funny for the camera filming this whole episode but it was not good for the old ticker. Then five, OK I'm being harsh, seven and a half minutes of training. Basically we fall, arms out, smile for the camera and knees up when we are about to land. By now I'm thinking that perhaps the jokes about the guy's inexperienced weren't jokes at all ... Then I go on possibly the longest bus journey I have ever taken to the airport to be met by a plane with no door. Now I'm aware that to fall out of a plane the door has to be open, but really the sight of the ground falling away from an open door is slightly unnerving. At about this time, I'm wondering why I'm here. Were is the exit? Where is the 'tick this box if you want to have two feet on the ground'? Nowhere apparently! So with the inexperienced guy behind me (I'm thinking that I may have to pull the cord) we suddenly are out of the plane and falling. In fact we're falling rather quickly! It's peaceful though, no sight or sound, just very relaxed till you look down and realise 14,000 feet has just become about 7,000! Then with one swift pull, the parachute opens. Big sigh of relief all round and finally I can enjoy this thing! What seemed like seconds later, we are on the ground. It's over, I'm alive. Life insurance polices are all still intact so it's time to breath easy enjoy the birthday and sign up for a solo course!
Claire
Could you be a student diarist?
If you hail from North Yorkshire or are studying in the county and think you could squeeze out a few hundred words about once a month (more if you want to!) get in touch with us by emailing northyorkshire@bbc.co.uk | 
