Diving. In the sky

Oh, how long i was dreaming to try it? Three? Four? Five?How many years? Dreaming about flying, blue sky, this free fall sensation in the body...  And at some point dreams should come true.

"Ready? Up, Down, Outside!!" - and... at that moment you do forget about everything. Nothing really matters, it's just you, horizon, and your parachute. And instructor of course :)

And well, always climbing roofs and going on ziplines was a piece of cake,so I thought I was not afraid of heights, but it looks like somewhere on the subconscious level everyone is. Otherwise - why would I have that look on my face and this crooked position at the exit from the plane? It was not even fear, the fear kind of diminished after the 4th jump.  That was something different that makes you freeze once you are up there even though you've rehearsed your jump step by step around 20 times. Something that  keeps you very concentrated, too concentrated that you even forget to breeze from time to time and only seeing the video you realize that you almost went with head down instead of doing a beautiful arch position. From  what the experienced say those are survival instincts and the more you  practice the more you can manage them. So far that is the best example I've ever seen on how little control sometimes we have on the thing we use every day  - our own body.

But forget all this technical stuff. Yes, it is worth it.

It is worth it not only because of the way horizon looks from 4,5 km, not only because of the feeling that you can actually fly(which is a pretty damn good feeling), but also because it does feel good to do those little tests for yourself on "how far can I go outside of my comfort zone?" and confirm that you can; that you can overcome your fears, this irrational and unconscious anxiety, and just look outside, feel the wind and actually make this step.

big city life...

Big city, like a big machine, absorbing you, draining your energy, making you dependent of things you don't really need. No air to breathe, too many people on the square meter, just the parks and some quiet barrios are like little islands of hope in the middle of the mess.

The good thing is that it's Mexico. It's something about people here that makes you fall in love with the country - like when you go to the public bathroom in the park and they find out you are Russian, you spend at least five minutes talking about Soviet Union before actually going to the bathroom; or when the old man explains you 5 times how to get to the metro by bus thinking you don't understand and in the end gets on the bus with you and pays for your ticket; or when you ask for the ride till metro station and  get a ride to your destination, and on Harley Davidson :) There is somethings about how artistic they are, how on almost every traffic light you see jugglers and fire show, how it's normal to say hi to unknown people on the street and "bless you" if anyone sneezes in the metro. 

Art is everywhere, but also now it becomes more clear why.  It is simply an escape from synthetic reality of the big city, the way to express yourself and let out the energy that gets accumulated, the replacement of nature that is impossible to avoid, otherwise you would go crazy.

in the desert

It's kind of dangerous to settle down. After 6th months spent in Cancun i've started getting too comfortable and planning a 3 months trip was making me feel a bit insecure of uncertainty of all that was going to happen. But as usual the desire to travel and explore is way bigger than any fears, all the "goodbyes" are said and we are on the way to see the real picture of the country.

The deserted scenery near San Luis Potosi reminds Hollywood movies about Mexico - cactuses and  big pick up trucks everywhere and men in sombrero are smoking cigarettes leaning to the walls of old buildings near the road. 

First day is quite relaxing and in the morning of the next day we head to the north to the magic village of Real de Catorce. It's amazing how the things synchronize when you really need certain experience, how you meet people you need to meet, how you get to know yourself through knowing the others, how you are able to feel that you are one with everything around and there are no limits to the things you can do. Desert in twilight, magic silence of those lands, animals appearing when the night descends, dark sky full of sparkling stars - all those moments are now deep in the heart. Mocho made this trip very special - not so often you find people who offer you their house knowing you for just half an hour and share the night with strangers talking till 4 a.m. about things you wouldn't have known otherwise.

Those moments when you feel that you are on the way to something magic, to some understanding that will change everything are very special and the desert certainly has some more lessons to teach. Soon we'll meet again..