Spring is springy

Ah...spring. The first thermals hit and...boing...up you go! And just like a bouncy spring...thwang...down you go! It's been an interesting start to the season. I planned to out-fly everyone since I'd stayed current by getting in my sledders during the winter. Reality? Slightly different. Pilots standing on launch, nervous because they haven't even touched their wing since the fall, take off & fly x-c their first day out as I watch from the LZ of shame. WTF?

Ok, it only happened once or twice. The last time it happened though I actually threw a tantrum. A 5-year-old-denied-their-favourite-sugary-treat-type tantrum. I was close to tears as pilots were gushing to each other all around the LZ about their epic valley crossings. Luckily a calm, calm pilot began talking very gently and put everything in perspective. The details of his speech aren't necessary, let's just say the outcome was that I calmed down immediately and decided to stop being so emotionally invested in my flying.

The revelation came a bit too late though as my tantrum was fodder for some "good-natured" teasing during para-waiting moments over the next week. Ha ha, very funny everybody. :)

And even though I am not emotionally invested in my flying anymore (well, to the point of tantrums at least), I'm excited to report that my subsequent flight to the one the sink monster claimed victory to was a personal best. I flew home! Not a long flight (it was just over 8km) but it was my first time committing to the task & making it. Check one resolution off my new years list!

So...yeah...flying still makes me super-duper excited. The lessons learned this year are the basic life lessons we are presented with time and again - don't compare yourself to others, focus on your accomplishments and not your failures, always do your best. Still, it's so much easier to abide by those words after a good flight than after a bomb out!