The PoSSUM Awakens – Day 4

WHAT A ROLLER COASTER OF A DAY!

 

Seriously though. I personally went through a million emotions. I woke up and went to work out and it was great. Then I felt like a weakling with Robert and Anthony kickin' my ass in fitness. Then I was in a funk at breakfast and couldn't shake it. Then I took a nap waiting for our first thing today and woke up feeling more Bailey ish... and it went on for the whole day. Up and down. Part of it was the crazy adrenaline today.

 

The first thing today for me was the flight Robert and I had been working on. I can talk more about specifics but it was super fun to feel badass and cool and be in a tiny little plane. Then I started feeling sick because of the mechanical smell and turbulence. Then I royally screwed up taking pictures. Then we came down and I had my space tribe and I felt better. Then I went into my space suit and ran the same simulation from Day 1 in a big pressurized space suit. And I feel like I did a great job. Then we all hung out in the lobby and I felt not like me again. Then I got into some deep conversation and felt like me. Then we watched a great movie (in Russian) about the first space walk and I got all fueled up again. Then I turned around and everyone was gone and I had so much to say.

It was a WILD day. Both in terms of experiences and in Bailey emotions. I should mention the Academy PoSSUM group came in today. It is similar training but they are all undergrads and high school students. There is Sofija, Jarod, Jupiter, Roberto... so many of them! I can talk more about them now. It was interesting to see such excitement but also to compare how different our lives are... and I am only 2 years older than them... That was terrifying. I am a completely different person than who I was in college.

Some of the time today I felt incompetent. Some of the time I felt like I could take on, not only the world, but the entirety of space. I think part of this is the exhaustion is wearing on me. I need to take care of myself better and listen to what I need. So with that in mind... I have tons I want to talk about but I know what I need is sleep. I promise to recap better soon. I think the smile on my face in the pictures will tell it all.