It's said that the most common phobia for individuals in the United States is a fear of heights, and I would have said I was among them until this past Sunday.

On August 14, I was approached by Reuban Roach, who was planning his seventh skydiving trip and was searching for a group of people brave enough to go with him to Skydive the Ranch.

He said another person named Morgan Hagenbuch had agreed to go, and when he asked me if I’d be interested in going I silenced my reservations knowing that it was the final step in facing my life-long fear, head on.

At approximately three or four years old I greatly enjoyed climbing things, including shelves that went all the way up to the ceiling of my our home.

I would eagerly wait until my parents were not around and start climbing, but one time after nearing the top, I fell and injured my head.

My sister found me on the ground bleeding, and alerted my parent who took me to the hospital. Ultimately I ended up needed stitches in my head, and the pain and trauma associated with falling caused me to develop a fear of heights.

I remember avoiding looking out of windows while in tall buildings and experiencing terrifying ferris wheel rides with my family that caused me to have minor panic attacks. Even trying to climb a ladder was a slow process that made me anxious.

For the 16 years that followed the fall, I avoided heights. However, approximately two years ago I forced myself to work with them, and as I became more comfortable I was determined to fully face my fear.

I started off with relatively small steps: I ended up working at a company that used a variety of tall ladders. I eventually climbed onto the rooftop of my home. Then, I took a short plane ride.

However, even during the plane ride I recognized being in a fully enclosed plane is different than staring over the edge of a skyscraper.

When I was asked about skydiving, I knew that would be the true test of how far I’ve come.

So I went.

After a three hour long ride to Skydive the Ranch in Gardiner, New York, I didn’t really feel that nervous.

It wasn’t until Roach, Hagenbuch, and I got into the plane and flew several thousand feet into the air with the plane door open and fresh air rushing by my face that I thought to myself, “What the hell did I get myself into?”

It was around then that time began moving very quickly for me.

In what seemed like only a few minutes of flight, the tandem jumper I was set to skydive with, Denes Gutai, told me we had just reached 10,000 feet in the air.

I watched Gutai's altimeter spin as the plane flew upwards, and I knew at around 13,000 feet it would be time to go.

In an overly eager fashion, the two people flying solo stood up in front of me, leaned over the edge of the plane, and jumped off.

Then I was the first of the tandem jumpers to be called to the edge.

Standing almost outside of the plane I looked down and noticed that I was so high off the ground that I could only see the tops of clouds, thousands of feet below me.

No words came to mind when I looked over the edge, and after a few moments of looking down, Gutai moved my jaw upwards and started the countdown.

After a long three, two, one countdown, we jumped off of the plane.

For a few moments, the 120 mph wind pressed against my face and body. It was then I forgot how to breath.

Fortunately Roach – a seven time skydiving veteran – told me before we jumped that closing your mouth and breathing through your nose can help, and it did. Gutai also informed me that screaming helps force the air into your lungs.

I opted for Roach's method, and after a couple deep breaths through my nose and several seconds of falling, we passed through the clouds and the stiff grey and white surroundings began to burst with color.

Suddenly I could see mountains, cities, and beautiful green pastures all around me.

Once we pulled the parachute cord and began drifting through the air, I was pretty sure I was going to survive.

I told Gutai it was a lot to take in, and after a few moments he let me take the reigns.

For almost 20 seconds, I directed where we flew through the air by pulling on either of the two parachute leads.

When I handed them back, the remaining time was used by Gutai to align us with the runway, and then we safely made our way back to the ground.

If you have a fear of heights, and you’re not sure what you should do about it, my advice would be start small and work your way up.

Skydiving is a lot of fun, and it's an experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

If you’re considering giving it a shot, I would highly recommend visiting Skydive the Ranch for your first time.

They were very professional, they made me laugh, took photos and recorded segments of my jump, and now, thanks to the ranch and Roach – I’ve got the story of a lifetime.

Pictured: As Evening Sun reporter Zachary Meseck stepped off of the plane and began sailing through the air at approximately 120 miles per hour, an aerial photographer snapped this photo. (Skydive the Ranch Photo)