If you would have asked me last Sunday what were some things I swore I’d never do, I’d have two answers for you — skydiving and bungee jumping.

The reason being I hate heights and there just felt like too much risk of death with those two things. I have been afraid of heights since I was a kid and when I’m up too high I feel like at any second I can just fall, even if there is a window in front of me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love rollercoasters and all those types of things, but my eyes are usually closed on the way up and I won’t open them until we’re going. I even had a panic attack on the Skywheel in Myrtle Beach when I was 15 before I even knew what a panic attack was. I still have not been on the Skywheel since then and I lived in Conway for three and a half years when I was going to Coastal Carolina.

However, on Monday I got to check skydiving off the “things I would never do” list because, well, I did it. I showed up at the Golden Knights hanger at the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport on Monday morning prepared to sit in the plane as Team Unbroken from the World’s Toughest Race did its tandem jump to take photos. I was not prepared for, “by the way, you’ve been preapproved to jump if you want.”

Part of me wanted to pass, I’ll be honest. Skydiving was a huge no for me, but after hearing from both my mother and grandfather all weekend about how I should jump if I could, I said yes. I mean this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I also knew I’d kick myself if I didn’t do it.

First, I got to go up in the plane to take pictures, which were equally terrifying considering I was seated directly in front of the door you jump out of. But we landed and I went to change into the gear I was going to jump in.

Cue panic. I mean … P-A-N-I-C.

I will say everyone was wonderful in trying to keep me distracted and from wimping out — which I’ll be honest, crossed my mind several times. I got to go on the plane, so why did I have to jump?

But before I knew it I was up in the air and being interviewed for the video that goes along with your jump. Being on the edge of the plane when you’re about to jump is the most terrifying thing I have ever experienced. Again, I’m terrified of heights and there I was about 11,000 feet above Scotland and Robeson counties, questioning what was wrong with me. My video shows the pure fear going through my head and my attempt at trying to breathe deeply before we jumped.

Not going to lie … I wanted to close my eyes, I thought that would be better, but I didn’t. We jumped, I arched my back as I was told and I watched the plane I was just in fly away from me.

Holy ohmygosh, I just jumped out of a plane.

Surprisingly, I didn’t swear or scream on the way down. I just laughed and smiled and my fear only came back when we hit a gust of wind before the parachute was released and my stomach dropped.

My first words once we were floating down and I could actually talk when the parachute was released were, “I just jumped out of a plane.” Currently, I’m still in the headspace of “I jumped out of a plane.”

I still can’t believe it and I’ve watched a clip of the video just about every day to prove I didn’t dream it.

The entire experience felt like forever and just seconds all at the same time. So … I’ll probably do it again if I get the opportunity and it was probably a career highlight.

When I texted my mom that I was jumping she was super excited I was doing it, I called my grandpa afterward and he asked all kinds of questions about how it was. When I texted my dad that I jumped out of a plane he responded with, “yeah right. What? The bottom step?” To which I responded, “nope at 11,000 feet.”

Needless to say, my dad did not believe me and requested photos, which I did give once I got them. Now the photo of me in the air is my mom’s lock screen on her work laptop and everyone in her office has seen the photo and video of my jump — plus she now wants one of the photos on a canvas.

While I was not prepared to jump on Monday I’ve got to say it was probably the best workday I’ve had in my three years working at The Exchange and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.

I’d just like to say thank-you to the Golden Knights for letting me do the tandem jump and helping me through my panic over the few hours I was there before the jump. I promise, if you ever let me jump again I’ll be calmer.

Reach Katelin Gandee at kgandee@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com. To support The Laurinburg Exchange, subscribe here: https://laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com/subscribe