Taking A Leap of Faith, Quite Literally

If you know me well, you know that heights are not my thing. I’ve gotten better and grew out of the many childhood fears like the dark, monsters under the bed, showering when home alone and creepy crawlers, but heights still make my legs wobbly and my heart skip a beat.?

The only reason I even half considered skydiving was two factors:?

1. A special connection with the small beach town of Puerto Escondido.

2. My best bud was coming all this way to visit me in both Mexico City and Puerto Escondido

The trip had been booked for a few months and I was trying to think through a way to really create that highlight moment more than just surfing. Myles and I ran a marathon together the 20 days before I moved to San Miguel and it only felt right to do something else that pushed us, scared us and made us understand what it feels like to LIVE TO THE FULLEST.?

I decided not to tell him that we would be skydiving and instead let him know that we were going to do something that “scared the sh*t out of me”. Let his imagination run wild and also test his ability to be a Yes Man. He passed with flying colors.?

It could have been shark diving, bungee jumping, fricken jumping into a pit of snakes, Myles would have said yes because he knew it was something I was comfortable with doing but nervous at the same time. It’s one of the reasons Myles and I are so good at traveling together, there’s an enormous level of trust that feels more like brotherhood than just a college friendship.?

Below I have photos from my green journal that is a beautiful collection of some of my best days since November of 2020.?

GRACIAS, GRACIAS, GRACIAS

Those 3 words. I repeated them to myself about 100 times. At the dropzone, at the tarmac, in the plane and of course as I was free falling 13,500 feet up in the air. To conquer one of my biggest fears, to do it so calmly, to create the memory and stamp an exclamation point on my third trip to Puerto Escondido was elation. As Will Smith said about skydiving, “It’s bliss.”

The emotions almost never had a chance to come. A few hours earlier, Myles and I were riding the smoothest of waves at punta. Jose helping me. Chucho providing instruction for Myself. We surfed all morning with Morena supporting us and taking videos + photos.?

After potentially waiting for the famous burrito spot to open, we sat down at what we now call “our table,” where it all unfolded. I told Morena that my attempt to book “the surprise” had failed. She saved the day connecting us with Gio. Originally a no, Gio got back to us minutes later that two spots had opened up. Myles, who had been guessing what the surprise was for weeks, was finally filled in. If Gio came through we’d be going skydiving.?

“Can you be here in 20 minutes?” I looked at my burrito. Damn! Only half eaten, but no time to think. We paid and were in the cab moments later, after we said a huge thank you to Morena.?

My heart racing, here we are at the drop zone, filling out paperwork, saying gracias X3, breathing, meditating and finding peace in the moment that used to be scary for me.?

Fast forwarding to the plane taking off, the calm remained. The ocean became all the more blue as we rose. The beach line spanning for miles. At one point, the group all saw a massive whale. I was in heaven. More than calm. More than good.?

I was the 2nd last to jump, Myles right before me. We schooched up and 3,2 … boom out the door. Wind rushing through me, my eyes adjusted to see the most view i've ever seen. Puerto Escondido.?

It’s established itself as my favorite place in the entire world. More than Florence, more than New Orleans. It has Sam’s heart. His Soul. His happy place. A place of growth. Of health. Of love. Of food that hugs you. And beaches that pull you in. Sunsets that make you feel safe. And lastly, people that are free. Pure freedom.?

Entry in the Green Journal, February 27th, 2022

Fast forward to this moment. Jan 9th, 7:34 AM in the Sydney, Australia airport. I just wrapped up a 3-week trip in the continent of Oceania (New Zealand and Australia). My time of living in Mexico is over with massive amounts of reflection on the 6-month experience. To this day, the move to a foreign country is highlighted by this day of skydiving. A leap of faith.?

When I first told friends and family that I’d be leaving New York for San Miguel de Allende, it really did feel like an emotional leap of faith. I could feel the doubt in my head. The nervousness in my breathing. Just like skydiving, my heart did skip a beat.?

But my gut knew.?

The parallels to making the biggest calculated risk of my life (to date) and skydiving are uncanny. The rewards were so epic. The memories so vivid.?

Just like my curiosity for self-growth and my genuine desire to be fluent in Spanish, skydiving was the moment I told myself I could no longer let fear hold me back from accomplishing my hopes and dreams in this life.?

To it all I say, Gracias, Gracias, Gracias.?