So today, like all Wednesdays since the end of last August, I wake up at 5:45 am and get ready for my shift at 7.
I don't always get up this early, sometimes I sleep until 6:15, which is a nice treat but then I've been known to forget to pack my phone charger, lunch, water bottle, or other basic necessities so in hindsight the extra 30 mins of slumber isn't really worth it for the stress I face when trying to make it to work on time and with all needed items. anything is worth extra sleep except for leaving your clean change of socks at home. (long story short, from school-to-home-to-gym-to-work means sometimes my socks are not the cleanest. so judge me).
Today I woke up feeling more recharged than usual, thank God, because normally I rival a dead cadaver when I wake, death 2x. (the cadaver being the winner). I read my bible some like I try to do every morning before work or class, regardless how early. I marked Psalms 119:64 specifically in my bible to be my "meditate on" verse for the day, it was good.
Work was good today, pretty slow which was odd because the weather was so good. Clear(ish) skies, no wind, and visibility well above 3SM. Despite the overall goodness of the day, I felt...slightly stuck? I felt like training for my PPL was going so slow, and I would not reach my goal by next Fall if I continued at this pace. but what can I do? I work a lot and have church to keep up with, I can't study 24/7. That's not even a reliable way to learn anyway! But overall, Wednesday, I felt like something was off internally the whole day.
I just couldn't put a finger on it, and who knows, I may have just been tired (whoa no way abbie really) but it was about to change that night. But more on that later. Here's a picture of me doing truck start up this morning, and a picture of my favorite plane to refuel (one of my favorite high-wings anyway, I typically love low-wings more because no ladder needed) but MM is mainly my favorite because the paint job, and the fuel caps come off like butter! :D
Work was slow, like I mentioned previously, so I pulled out the scrap-top (this laptop has had 5 owners before me, so no hard feelings, I understand he tries his best, even if he does sound louder than the 152 starting up) and started to study. I was in my Jeppesen course, learning about engine configuration for an hour or so, when I heard my name mentioned. I looked up.
A regular whose biplane I've filled was talking to my boss. We'll call the regular Jackson and my boss Martin. My boss nodded his head and said "yeah, sure" they both looked up then and caught my eye because they saw I looked up and caught their eye. fun times. "how'd you like to go on a biplane ride abbie?" Jackson says, and I grinned and said I was too busy. Poor guy thought I was being serious, because he said "oh, well, there's a young man in the engine shop next door who'd be happy to go if you're too busy." I told him I would love to go, if Martin was ok and Jackson said that's what they were talking about. So my lovely boss gave me permission to go flying, while at work (Martin is a really cool guy, in case you didn't notice, and you will be reading much more about him because he also has the best dad jokes and bad (but so good) puns. I aspire to be him. also, to learn flying from him because he's pretty good at that too!)
1ST TIME IN A BIPLANE BABY and I never wanted to come down! I told Jackson that every plane should be open cockpit, it's how flying was made to be! Jackson took that picture of me and the former mentioned young man from engine shop (Cody). Cody and I were really really happy but for whatever reason we look like upset children whose dad just told them a bad joke. And the dad wasn't Martin.
All (dad) jokes aside, Jackson is a skilled pilot and it was incredibly awesome of him to take us in the last ride of the year before the biplane goes to the hangar for the Winter. Pretty crazy that we got such good weather that day, no rain to threaten us! Like I said, the day was really beautiful (if a bit cold) but it was just a slow day pilot wise, not many people flying at all. I took videos and some pictures, but because of the wind velocity, they look kind of wavy and not too good. I also really just wanted to take it all in, not focus on "getting perfect footage" but just living it :)
SO. FOR BIG EVENT NUMBER #2: I got home. I wasn't aware of the important email in my inbox however because I first had dinner, took off my socks, did my usual Get-Home-From-Work routine (yes, I washed my hands too) and then only about 45 mins later did I check my inbox.
I AM INVITED TO A SCHOLARSHIP/INTERVIEW DAY AT MY UNIVERSITY.
to back track, and I mean go back to this Jan of 2017, I applied to a university I really liked, but thought it'd be impossible for me to ever go. And when I say "impossible", I mean so. I mean tuition, location, even what I want to major in is all pretty far out there. Even for me and my usual lack of reality grip. But through God's crazy-impossible-insane way of doing whatever He wants if HE wants to, I could actually end up going to this school. Things have been happening that are nothing short of miracles, baby mini miracles happening right after another, and in His perfect timing.
for a really rough chalk-up of recent events:
1. I was accepted into the school (30% acceptance rate, so not crAZy low but still).
2. I was able to email the Director of Aviation, and phone him. We had multiple good conversations, but he encouraged me to come visit when I can. I said I would, but in my head I was thinking tickets aren't exactly cheap and also it's far, and I was in school back during this time, Spring 2017.
3. But, I still sent in my transcript later in Summer because I thought "eh why not let's see what happens" and they were able to transfer a LOT of my credits from my previous community college. 4. I was able to visit the school, all the way in San Diego, with my brother while we were there for my cousins marine graduation this past September. God really worked for us to make it (my bro got days off work plus we got perfect tickets) we were essentially backpacking & just crashed airbnb for 1 night, but the people we met and the opportunities we had were God-directed. We got where we needed to go, (on time even in LA traffic with no car or no knowledge of the city), were safe the whole time, and we didn't plan anything. My brother and I can plan, but this trip we didn't really because we like doing things in spur of the moment. This trip happened so quick, we didn't really have a choice anyway!
and I made videos on that so you can understand more of what a BIG DEAL it was that I even was able to go:
part one: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvQC5fY-dXM&t=5s)
part two: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k595oMtymiI&t=207s)
5. I applied for a scholarship I personally had no business to (it was honors, for starters ..)
6. 👆 I got accepted to said Honors program, I recently found out 1 1/2 weeks ago!!! 🙃
7. more people got in contact with me about my mission, wanting to talk, offer advice, help me, take me on free biplane rides and hire me to work at an airport.
8. then, November Wednesday the 1st of 2017, I checked my email once I got home from work and saw this:
happening notice how "Leadership Day" (the one I'm talking about) is under the pictures Jackson sent me and my old email still in my main inbox from my other scholarship. So this has all been happening on top of other events, this week being a very MAJOR very high. time! That makes 2 scholarships within reach for me for this school, making the possibility of me actually attending v e r y h i g h i n d e e d.
crazy crazy crazy. I haven't even screamed or danced or cried or laughed, because I still feel like it's not happening.
It feels like the times I'm actually uploading to YouTube: "is this actually happening right now?!?!:""
Thanks for reading this far!! My next post will most likely be an update on how the Interview/Scholarship day went! God willing, it'll be more awesome news!
~ abbie