“People who dream when they sleep at night know of a special kind of happiness which the world of the day holds not, a placid ecstasy, and ease of heart, that are like honey on the tongue.
They also know that the real glory of dreams lies in their atmosphere of unlimited freedom. It is not the freedom of the dictator, who enforces his own will on the world, but the freedom of the artist, who has no will, who is free of will. The pleasure of the true dreamer does not lie in the substance of the dream, but in this: that there things happen without any interference from his side, and altogether outside his control.
Great landscapes create themselves, long splendid views, rich and delicate colours, roads, houses, which he has never seen or heard of…”
What does the landscape of your dreams look like?
When you’re dreaming a happy dream, are you forever strolling through forests? Meandering along river runs? Digging your toes into white sands? Clip-clopping through the steely, teeming jungle of an urban diorama? Checking out the powder-dusted teeth of a mountain range? Standing in the skinny shade of a saguaro, peeking out at the stuff of your dreams from under the wide brim of a hat? It’s beautiful in there. You might think that nothing in real life could possibly look better than the world you whip up from scratch.
However, you’d be wrong.
The world, experienced from the rarefied position of freefall, is more fantastical; more splendid. It’s fuller because your head and heart are fuller. Even if you know every road below you, form above, everything is new. It’s an interactive map; it’s a painting; it’s a frozen moment in time, because when you think about the place you skydive down into, its aerial diagram is the first thing you’ll remember.
That said: it’s pretty important when you’re choosing a place to make that skydive, to pick a pretty one.
There are loads of skydiving dropzones. They’re all over the world. There are some spectacularly beautiful ones, but a great many of them are smack in the middle of the largest patchwork of cornfields you’ve ever seen. As you might imagine, it’s not a riveting scene (unless you’re lucky enough to check out some crop circles).
As far as skydiving views are concerned, we in Chattanooga are proud to say that the views from our marvelous little dropzone are second-to-none. Nickajack Lake and the Tennessee River curl up underneath us like a sleeping cat, tucking up in curlicues against the proud outstretch of Lookout Mountain and the rolling city riverbank. When fall comes along, Prentice Cooper State Forest changes color like a stoplight, cascading armfuls of crimson-and-gold foliage over its furrowed ridges. If you were a proud Tennessee resident before, suffice it to say: You’ll land with your hand over your heart.
It might be tempting to run off and do that first skydive at the ocean, but we’re here to tell you that you don’t have to go that far to get your socks knocked off by majesty. The most beautiful skydiving views in the world are right in your backyard, dear reader. We’re pretty sure that Dorothy said it best: There’s no place like home.
Ready to experience our stunning skydiving views for yourself? Book a tandem skydive with Chattanooga Skydiving Company and we’ll be glad to introduce you to our Tennessee skies!
