Though it seems contradictory to the majority of posts in this blog, and given that it’s entitled Skydive Addiction, I’m a huge believer in the need to enjoy life outside of the skydiving community…outside of the addiction, if you will.
When I first started skydiving, it was an obsession. It’s all I thought about, dreamed about, looked forward to and honestly, all I cared about.
Any downtime at the office wasn’t spent making myself a better practitioner, it was spent watching the latest skydiving videos on YouTube. I missed out on important family functions – the type of relative work that was around long before I started skydiving – because the skies were blue. I all but gave up my passion for photography. Not so slowly, skydiving was sucking the life out of me.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I have no regrets here. I’ve always been the all or nothing type – it’s just a part of who I am – and in this instance I was willing to give up all other important aspect of my life to get that adrenaline fix. Of course, for me, it was more than that. It was the challenge of the sport that I lived for. The more it taught me about the strength and ability that lie inside me, the more I wanted to be in the sky.
Money and time were no object.
This summer, it slapped me upside the head that the life I lead on the ground is important too. Through a tragic event I was able to fully understand the importance of family. I’m not sure much has changed outside of what’s going on in my own head and heart, but I do know it’s for the better.
I’ve also recently fallen in love with the other aspects of my life on the ground. Spending time with friends and my partner, working out, getting back into the world of photography, writing, focusing on my career…it’s all been incredible.
And now, with some recent changes I’m looking forward to including all these aspects of my life in a new location as we move to Chicago next month!
So what’s my point? Well, think about this: what if something happened that for some reason you couldn’t jump anymore, say financial issues, or heaven forbid, an injury. Take a look at your life as it is now and ask yourself, how happy would you be without skydiving?
I’ve always been a believer in having a multi-faceted life. There’s more to living than just one hobby; one obsession. I like that there are so many aspects to my life that make it great. I like that I have friends at the dropzone and at the office and close to home. I like that when Monday comes I can look back on my weekends with a smile, knowing how much fun was had, but that I’m able to live in the moment and enjoy my week because I like that part of my life too.
Anyway, there’s not really a conclusion to this, more of a brain dump as I take a break from doing laundry and packing up my condo for the big move….and although those things are chores on the surface, I’m rather enjoying the moment.
Blue skies!
Ashley