Moments D531: Pride

Today was the last day of Chicks Rock - a big boogie in Lake Elsinore.    I had the pleasure of watching it all from the front row.

First thing this morning, four lovely ladies pulled off not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR records in one jump.  Amazing really.  Impossible to replicate!  Watch it here!!    Incredible.  Brilliant.

And yes, as a new friend to three of these four wonderful women (and they are all truly wonderful and unique women), I found myself quite proud of them.   I know how hard all four of them have worked to get to this point.  And I find myself filled with pride for their accomplishment.  For two of the ladies, I am quite familiar with their quest to this moment and just how much the records meant to them.  My feelings of pride deepened.

Each of the three ladies I call friend took time to say goodbye to me as they left the boogie - in fact two of them tracked me down just to say goodbye!  What an incredible feeling that was.  New friendships are always a bit scary and interesting as we grow into a new relationship.  But as I reflect upon today's moment of pride for their accomplishment today, I found myself feeling quite fortunate to be able to call these ladies friends.  I also find myself looking forward to sharing more stories and exciting adventures with them .

Moments celebrating a big win.

Moments celebrating the wonderful women who made it happen.

Moments D432: An introduction to the Sky diving culture

I love experiencing new things.  Every opportunity to grow is one that I embrace.  Not all of them are happy, joyous learning opportunities, but they all stretch my soul.  So when I was offered an opportunity to have a inside introduction into the world of sky diving, how could I ever possibly say no?  What I didn't realize was just how much I would enjoy meeting this new world.

Today I went with EQ to the drop zone in Rochelle, IL - Chicagoland Skydiving Center. It was a first for me to be on a drop zone and to meet people who sky dive. Not only did I meet some of the veterans of this particular drop zone, I was fortunate enough to meet the wingsuit group here for their first annual Sequentials Competition. Incredible people.  It's no wonder EQ loves the energy of this sport and the people he flys with.  They are such amazing people. Vibrant, full of life and energy, and they easily accepted me into their group even though I was a true outsider to the sport.

I watched as they practiced their rotations for the jumps planned tomorrow. I took a few photos and pondered their sport as they organized themselves. This sport takes sky diving to the next level. More dangerous and somewhat controversial in some circles, but for those in the sport, a testament to and surely more of an adrenaline rush. Check out this video to give you an idea!

It was an incredible moment to meet this group. I felt honoured that EQ introduced me to his sport mates – it was like being a fly on the wall, for I truly was an outsider. After an afternoon break, we met up with the crew again for a delightful Mexican dinner.  Conversations were easy to come to me with much laughter dabbled throughout the evening. What a delightful way to be introduced to a new sport and a new group of people.

Moments knowing you have no idea what to expect next.

Moments watching in awe and absorbing in the (new) energy.