Over the course of the last year, I have "met" a number of people through dropzone.com. The internet is a very strange thing! I get to have conversations with people from all over the world! Cyber friends!  Very cool! Anyway, a bunch of the people from dz.com were planning to get together at an event in Texas - Skyfest. Jennifer was planning to go and asked me if I wanted to go with her - another wonderful opportunity! 

How awesome for her to include me again! Without her, I wouldn't have been able to go. Even before I had my license, Jennifer was inviting me to go places with her.  We have become good travel companions. Jennifer is always prepared with printed directions taking us from the airport to the hotel, the hotel to the drop zone, etc. She's so organized!

On this trip, Jennifer got to see first hand what it looks like when I melt down! Being at the airport upsets me. I don't like standing in lines, being crowded by people, and I find traveling stressful and exhausting! So, when they pulled my rig for additional inspection, I practically had a fit.  "You let her go through! She's got one too!" Oh boy...

So much happened on this trip, it's hard to remember it all! My first day at Skyfest was very frustrating.  After I completed the waiver and my drop zone briefing, I thought I was good to go. When I put my gear on for our first jump, I discovered my AAD batteries were dead. Ugh! Fortunately, they had a rigger on site!  Unfortunately, new batteries and a reserve repack cost $145! Grrrrr!

Before I went to this event, I had never heard of Star Crest Awards. In order to be a Star Crest Recipient, a skydiver must free fly the exit (no grips) and participate in a free fall formation involving eight or more skydivers held together for a minimum of 5 seconds.

The organizers of Skyfest were trying to initiate as many people as possible because they had an interesting ceremony planned for Saturday night!  

Even though I spent my first few hours on the ground, I got my rig back in time to do one jump before the end of the day - an SCR attempt.  We got it!

On Jump 101, I earned my SCR # 14693.  Thank you Mark Futch, Gary Wlist, Jeff Sandley, Jennifer McKinney, Kim Schafer, Andy Whitlock & Walt Appel for making it happen (with video by Turtle!)! Afterwards, we got to have dinner with a few dz.commers!  Fun times!

Jumps 102 & 103 were Pink Patch jumps practicing for the Texas women's state formation record.  I was happy to be included and pleasantly surprised when the organizer told me that I flew well for the number of jumps I have.

On Saturday, I was asked to go on another SCR attempt.  This time one of the dz.commers - Skydivermom - was trying to earn her award.  On my 104th jump, she earned her SCR and I earned a second Star Crest Award SCS #8,209 because I was the last one to enter the formation!

Prior to the jump, my ear was bothering me and afterward my ear drum was so swollen that I decided to stop jumping.  I didn't do any more jumps on Saturday and I sat on the ground all day Sunday. There were so many great opportunities at this event, but there was no way for me to continue jumping.  I spent most of my day watching the others and trying to stay cool!  It was nearly 100 and super humid!

Toward the end of the day, the vendors started packing up. While I was walking around, I stopped by the Performance Designs tent to see if I could grab a pull up cord.  They were all gone. One of the PD guys was very sweet - he didn't want to send me away empty handed so he insisted I take a PD backpack.  It was awesome!  I told him that he really didn't need to give it to me, but he insisted. Later that night, when I was at the hotel, I looked inside.  It turns out, he gave me his personal backpack including some cash, and a ground to airplane walkie talkie.  Fortunately, we had plans to go back to the drop zone the next day and we got it back to him before they left the area.

The trip to Texas was a super fun adventure!  I stood up all my landings (including the one I made on the taxi way..ooops!), I earned two Star Crest Awards, got to meet a bunch of cool people, and I even got a backpack!