The Jump
Growing up, I was an adventurer and always found great joy in exploring the unknown. I explored to learn more about the world and see how in the end, mother nature will always prevail as mankind is at her mercy.
This idea of nature always seeming to triumph fascinated me at a young age and I always sought to get out of my comfort zone and do things that got my adrenaline flowing. It was a hot, humid July day in the summer of 2015 and me along with two other friends thought of the perfect idea; find a place to go cliff jumping.
We always found joy in finding spots to adventure, especially places where we could swim and have total freedom. We asked one of our close friends if he knew of any places nearby we could go cliff jumping and he knew the best, most secluded place where we wouldn’t find trouble with anyone.
He told us of a place about an hour west of Leesburg, Virginia, the place I lived at the time, and gave us a pinpoint on google maps where the spot should be. Me and my two other friends Hunter and George embarked on this journey and found ourselves in the middle of nowhere off a country road deep in rural West Virginia.
We followed the pinpoint on the map to a massive abandoned quarry filled with sky blue water. This place was like a dream, it was perfect. A long rectangular shaped quarry that was about 100 feet across and a quarter mile in length.
We then saw across the water a towering cliff that we estimated was about 60 to 70 feet in height. At first glance, I was so intimidated I contemplated even attempting to jump but I knew I came here for a reason and was overcome with the need for adrenaline. Soon we jumped in the water and swam down to check the depth, finding ourselves about 20 feet deep with no bottom in sight, we concluded the jump was safe… enough.
Next, we had to actually get to the top of the cliff and that was a vast challenge in itself as it was nearly completely vertical. However, through some quick thinking as well as trial and error we found a way to the top.
Let me tell you, the view from the top of the water was the most nerve racking thing I have ever experienced. Heights have always been a bit of a challenge for me to face but this was something I’d never come close to experiencing; I had no way down other than jumping in the water.
The only thing we miscalculated was the fact that the last ten feet of the cliff side nearest the water began to jutt out and any mistake would surely be our last. But, I swallowed my pride and began to breathe slowly preparing myself for the jump. I was the first one to the top and that meant I was the first one to go off.
I asked my two buddies to count down slowly, five, four, three, two, one. Once they hit one I hesitated for a slight second then everything in my mind stopped as I leaped out. It seemed like an eternity on the trip down, then boom. I hit the water unscathed, and yelled with triumph and exhilaration.
This experience brought me so much adrenaline that I had no choice but to do it again, and shortly there after I did. All in all, I was able to see how at mercy I was with nature and how with courage and bravery I would experience my own personal triumph, conquering mother nature.