It's Still a Dream

**This was written the night before I started training, January 15 2013** 

Going through pictures that I took on my phone and uploaded to my computer, deleting some to make a bit of extra space. Starting around Christmas last year through DigiTour and birthday trip to Oregon. It was a very nice trip down memory lane with loads of friends, concerts, sunsets and disc golf but the event that makes me stop and start writing this blog is the pictures from Rocketfest. August 3^rd 2012 a couple friends and I make the trek to Huntsville for a fundraiser/concert event. I had volunteered to sell merch per an online request from the creator, Marian Call. I thought it would be a great day trip, I had planned on going whether or not anybody else wanted to come but in hindsight I'm glad I got to share it with my friends Miranda, Scott and Bryson.

Instagram Inception

As we were approaching the US Space andRocket Center on the highway there are 2 large rockets standing on end, reaching towards the sky like skyscrapers, which gave me butterflies. We arrive and meet Marian and Amee, the rep from the center and got escorted to where the event was being held, under a Saturn 5 rocket (The one that took us to the moon).

Setting for Rocketfest

Walking through the park and museum made me very happy, to be surrounded by so much knowledge and history gave me similar feelings as to when I see people enjoying my favorite bands live.

The event was successful in raising enough money for a Space Camp scholarship and creating awareness of this awesome place. I got the chance to meet Phil Plait, an astronomer who I follow on Twitter, which was cool; I wish I had the guts to tell him how I think he's awesome and super inspiring but that will have to wait. Rocketfest streamed online which was a nice touch, I thought, hopefully it happens again and grows!

At the end of the day my friends were watching Batman in the IMAX theater and I had some time to kill. Amee offered to show me around a bit so we walked around the offices, Space Camp simulators and various other places with neat things. I felt like it was a place I needed to be, it had been a while since I was that amped. After a while I met up with my friends and couldn't shut up about how amazing the whole day was. I left with the knowledge that I would be back to work at some point.

Cut to January 14 2013, sitting on my bed in a Habitat at the USSRC as a Crew Trainer for Space Camp. Training starts tomorrow and it still feels like a dream that I get to be here.