Nerissa Fernandez wishes friends courage and faith in the new year

Freefalling across Monterey Bay

One down, how many more to go, Nerissa?

We’re talking ‘bucket list’ here, and Nerissa Fernandez, Global Corporate Affairs director of broadcast network ABS-CBN International, in Redwood City just checked one off her list: On December 1st, she went skydiving on Monterey Bay, south of San Francisco. She is very much around to share the mind-blowing experience.

“I knew exactly what should happen; I didn’t know if it would happen. I could only hope that it happens. Thank God, it did. That’s me talking to myself after I skydived on December 1, 2013, first day of Advent,” wrote Nerissa in an email to her network of friends and media contacts.

She was deep in wonder whether the jump would go safely as advertised by the skydiving company and that the parachute would open. It did and with an instructor making her feel at ease she landed nicely with both feet on the ground. Her parents and nephew who were there to watch rushed to smother her with ‘good job’ hugs.

“I’ve always wanted to jump and when the opportunity presented itself when my brother invited us, I said, ‘I’m in,’” she said.

‘I’ve always wanted to jump.’

As a first-time jumper, Nerissa was understandably jittery. There was some anxiety in the beginning, she said, but the prep time – waiting for the skydiving team to arrive, a safety briefing and boarding the plane – took almost four hours.

“By that time, I just wanted to jump (and get it over and done with),” Nerissa told The FilAm. “I was no longer scared.”

In the short but exhilarating freefall, Nerissa threw all anxiety aside and enjoyed a panoramic view of the Bay Area.

“The experience up in the sky and seeing a whole new world from above, the feeling of flying, it’s a priceless experience,” she said.

She may have meant ‘priceless’ in a philosophical sense because the jump with an instructor and a video/photo memento cost something like $400.

“I am not saying that everyone should try this as there is always danger involved. But I will say anyone could do this. Your only hindrance is fear.” is her message. In her Christmas Eve email, Nerissa likened skydiving to her own “leap of faith.”

“(It’s that) split second when you finally decide and commit that it’s either you do it or you don’t, you can or you can’t, you will or you won’t without knowing 100 percent if you’d end up winning or not.”

And on that note, she wished her friends wisdom, courage and faith in their life’s journey.