freedom | The Scamp Abroad

The Scamp Jumps

Posted on March 9, 2015 by erranteditor

I turned 28 by jumping out of an airplane. It is one of the most thrilling, and stupid things that I have ever done.

I signed away my entire life, and talked my dad into doing the same thing. I am really not sure why I wanted to jump out of a plane, other than the fact that it was as close to an adventure as I could get right now. I wanted to know how it would feel to fly. My mom and brother trooped out to the lovely little city (extreme sarcasm) of Perris, and after a two hour wait, it was time to fly.

After getting suited up, taping a pre-jump interview, an awesome flight suit, and some safety instructions, it was time to board the plane. I was lucky enough to get the good looking Brad. He was a great guy. He laughed, joked, and made sure that I was entirely comfortable the whole time. If I did not have my heart set on getting out of the US as fast as possible, I would have flirted with him a lot more….well, more than sitting in his lap and holding on to him while he got our parachute untangled.

I have no words for how incredible it was to jump out of the plane. It wasn’t the stomach dropping excitement of being on a roller coaster, or the scary feeling you get when an airplane dips while flying, but it is an incredible rush. You forget to breathe, forget to be afraid, forget that you are even hurling toward the earth. I loved the free fall. I’m not sure my dad felt the same way.

The adorable Brad let me steer the parachute, we played merry-go-round with the cameraman, and practiced some crazy turns that left me feeling really a bit sick. I did not land gracefully. Brad ended up on top of me, and I managed to get myself tangled in the parachute, but it was worth it. A funny thing happened to me when I landed. All of the adrenaline finally left my body, and I got a bit sick. I didn’t know if I should puke or pass out, and I very well almost did both.

Not sexy.

Brad was great about it, and once I was free of the jumpsuit, I found a nice spot on the grass to lay down for a bit. I got a shirt, video, and pictures to mark the day. I plan on taking the picture they printed out for me to Scotland to hang on my wall.

I finished off the day with a dinner with the wombmate and her friends. While it was not really how I wanted to spend my birthday, it was fun, and she enjoyed herself.

28 is starting off with a bang. Now I have three months to find a flat and figure out how to ship my stuff to Scotland. Where is the apartment fairy when you need her?

The Scamp and Art

Posted on November 10, 2014 by erranteditor

Finally a piece of art that I can relate to.

Woman Encircled by the Flight of a Bird, 1941 by Joan Miro

I am happy to report that I will be traveling to Spain in June, and I am hoping that somewhere along the way, I can stumble on this masterpiece.

In 12 days I will be on a plane bound for Estonia.
In 207 days I will be on a plane bound for Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar.
In 264 days my prison sentence is lifted and I no longer have to interact with the bullies.

I finished a draft draft methodology chapter today. It is not 100% the project that I want to do, but I am proud of how it came together, and I am excited to get feedback from the professor before I present it as part of my proposal at the end of next semester.

I cannot wait for the traveling to begin.

The Scamp and the Circus

Posted on August 1, 2014 by erranteditor

Not much shows up when you google “circus yoga”. When my study buddy/friend suggested that we meet at the beach and do some circus yoga, I was not sure what to expect. The qualifying exam is tomorrow, and I knew I needed something to relax my brain and break away from study mode. As test approaches, I have been getting more and more anxious, and doubting myself more and more. The idea of trying something new, and hanging out with my study buddy outside of a school setting seemed like the best way to spend a Wednesday night.

Circus yoga did not disappoint. The instructor was this hippie surf chick with long blond hair and a warm warm welcome. She was amazing. Her name is Soyela (you can find her here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Soyela-Yoga/512636495491305). The way her class works is you do a mini yoga routine to stretch and limber up, and then you do acroyoga, hula hoop yoga, and yoga on a slack line (that last one is just as hard as it sounds). There were three of us from study group there, plus the sister and a friend of the girl that invited us. There were three other people who are regulars there, and everyone was super nice.

I felt great. It was nice to be out laughing on the beach hitting myself in the face with a hula hoop and learning to fly. What follows capture the night better than I can do in words.

Sisters learning to trust each other

Soyela teaches me to fly.

She teaches Lorena how to trust

We look good from any angle

Study buddy and I learn to trust the process

Not a bad way to end the day

3 fierce warriors take on Warrior III

I think circus yoga bonding night was a success!

The qualifying exam is tomorrow. The reference sheet is printed, the relaxation is happening, and I am about as ready as I can be. I have no choice but to pass because I do not want to have to take this test again.

Tomorrow, I will be a free woman.

The Scamp Quits

Posted on July 26, 2014 by erranteditor

Today I quit my job.

It has been a long time coming (which is a bit sad since I have only been there a year), but the day finally arrived.

Today I quit my job in favor of a career.

My classes at the community college filled, and I will now make my living doing something I love instead of just something that allows me to barely scrape by and pay my bills.

I’m not really a quitter, so it feels strange to quit a job, but it served its purpose, and now I no longer have to put up with the Bitchy Bitty Brigade. I know that I won’t be there to see those women get their comeuppance, but I would like to think that the universe will right that environment soon enough.

The good news is: it is no longer my problem.

Summer school has finally finished. I survived mostly intact.

The qualifying exam is in 6 days. I wish I had done some more studying, but I think I will be able to pass.

Then I have the first two weeks I have had in almost two years.