We made record time from Richmond to DeLand. I won't say how long the drive took, but I will say that I may have driven a little over the posted speed.  It was so great to be visiting Tammy!  After we got settled in and had dinner, we watched my video. When it was over, I realized that I was smiling – a huge happy smile. I’d seen it at least fifty times, and every time it brought a smile to my face (and it still does) - $70 well spent.

I asked my Tammy if she knew where Skydive DeLand was located. I figured it must be near by because we were in DeLand. She said it was located near the YMCA about 15 minutes from her house. Perfect! I could kill two birds with one stone. There was no way I could go two weeks without exercising. Early the next morning, I drove over to the YMCA and purchased a pass. After my workout, I headed over to the drop zone.

Me after a workout – not a pretty sight - my face is beet red, my hair is soaking wet, and my clothes are sweaty. So, I admit that I was a little gross – maybe that’s why not one person spoke to me. I entered the cafe/bar and walked through to a door on the other side - no smiles or friendly faces. I exited onto the huge deck.

Wow...what a cool environment! The deck was awesome - wooden benches everywhere, palm trees, picnic tables, etc. For the next hour, I observed. I watched jumpers landing in the spacious flat landing area - that's a plus for someone like me. On the minus side, there was a ton of traffic overhead. They had more than one runway and it seemed like maybe they were teaching people to fly.

I entered the air-conditioned manifest/gear shop. Ah...it felt nice to be out of the Florida sun. After I looked around, I approached the counter to ask about ground school. The guy behind the counter said, “It starts at 8:00 AM.” Then, he went back to what he was doing.

Wow...this place is so successful! They don’t need to waste their time talking to potential customers.

If this guy had taken a minute out of his busy schedule to ask me even one question, “Are you thinking about jumping?” “Would you like me to sign you up?” “Have you jumped before?” He would have been able to convince me to do some AFF training there.

The cost for the first seven AFF jumps at DeLand (including ground school training) is $999. The first seven AFF jumps at Orange will cost $1,465. It doesn’t take a BS in accounting to figure out that it is far less expensive to jump in Florida.

In addition to the cost, training in DeLand would be logistically easier. Sure, it’s 14 hours from my house, but I was already there. My friend said I could stay as long as I’d like, and I could come back whenever I wanted. Emma was in summer camp for five weeks, and Alec was in kid heaven – hanging out with his friends, playing video games, watching TV, and swimming in the pool. Another very enticing part of training at DeLand, I wouldn’t have to get up at 5:30 in the morning to get there on time!

I exited the gear store wondering...Would I be able to do AFF here? The sky was so busy. I watched as another plane took off.

Even though I wasn't in love with the place, I found myself drawn there. Stopping at the drop zone after my workout became part of my daily routine. I thought eventually someone would approach me, but no one did.