Well…here we go again. One of these days, my life will stay consistent for a few months — but now is not that time. I have three key updates this time around:

1. We are moving again

2. I earned my masters

3. I’m a licensed skydiver

1. On the road again, this time to Ohio.

Off we go! Dave was finally accepted into his dream military career – FA52, the Nuclear and Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction Agency. He’s been wanting this since I met him, and he has worked so hard to qualify. Now that he’s in, the next step is graduate school at the Air Force Institute of Technology in Dayton, Ohio. He’ll be spending a year at Wright State University, turning his soft science bachelor’s into hard science, and then he’ll dive headfirst into his master’s in nuclear engineering. 

Because the housing situation in the US is especially horrible right now, we decided to build again rather than go through the stress of bidding for a house. We are building in a great community in Dayton — it’s absolutely beautiful, and all the neighbors we have met online are delightful. The house we are building is a cutesy cottage design, and we picked dark and moody exterior colors for that Wizarding World vibe you all know I love.

I’ll be honest that this is going to be an especially tough move for me. We have settled in well here in Virginia and have carved out a beautiful little life. We have an amazing church, the best possible friends, awesome hobbies, and are close to family. Our moves to date have all been bitter-sweet, but right now, this one just feels bitter. I know we will settle in nicely in Ohio and love it just as much; it’s just hard to wrap my head around it all right now.

2. Dobby has no master, but I have one.

I graduated! And yes, I managed to work a Disney reference into every one of my assignments. Graduation was canceled because of COVID, but a bunch of my friends threw a party for me, and then a few of us girls had a sleepover at an oceanfront hotel. Honestly, that was even better than a commencement ceremony. I felt their love and pride so much, and it was such a special day.

3. That’s not flying, it’s falling with style.

One thing I NEVER thought I would say is that I am officially a licensed skydiver! I’m really in shock that I went through with it all. It was a really anxiety-inducing experience for me (fear of heights + skydiving = lots of stress, haha!), and I honestly wasn’t sure I had it in me to finish until I actually finished. It took me a lot longer than most people – some of my friends were done in two or three months, whereas it took me seven and some change. I could blame my work schedule, or being in grad school, or the ninety-minute drive to the DZ…but the truth is that I just needed time to rebuild my mental fortitude between jumps. So I took it slow and steady. I went down most weekends and just did one or two jumps each time. It worked out well for me though, because it gave me extra time to observe and ask questions and learn BEFORE doing, which is usually the best method for me. And now here I am, all licensed and jumping out of planes with my friends.

I am just so ecstatic to finally be licensed and able to jump with my friends, and that I get to spend the rest of my life growing in this crazy sport. Everything about skydiving is amazing, and this community has brought the most incredible people into my life. When I started last year, I had first jump course buddies, free fall instructors, and mentors. Those people have all become best friends and family. I can’t even imagine my life without these humans in it. 

So that’s my update! I’m sad to move, but God is good, and life is good, and I’m excited to see what crazy things we get up to at our next destination.