Madelyn Arrives At Space Camp

After a 3 1/2 hour drive from Atlanta, we arrived in Huntsville, AL this morning. Being typical me, I was not paying attention along the highway and wondering out loud, "I don't see it", to which Madelyn replied, "It's probably where that ROCKET is, Mom." My bad...

HOW COOL IS THIS!!!??? It was a bit surreal for both of us as we arrived on the campus of the US Space and Rocket Center. Madelyn will be the first to admit that she had a little tear (or twenty) in her eyes. It's like Space Mecca here.

After looking around for a bit, we got some lunch, picked up a few items we'd forgotten, and then it was check-in time. Madelyn was fitted for her flight suit and sent up to her "pod" to make her bed and get unpacked. This dorm is something right out of a Star Trek: The Next Generation. Her tiny room houses 7 girls and the building is aptly named Habitat 1.

Once she got settled and went off to orientation (with nary a glance back until I yelled, "Hey...bye!"), I took a walk around the rocket park, where there is a life-sized model of the space shuttle. I felt unimipressively small standing next to this giant.

It was an almost 5 hour ride home through the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay. Torrential downpours that resulted in me driving 20mph for the last 50 miles home, in the dark. It was like one big video game, except the stakes were a bit higher. For the second time in a week, I was never so happy to see my sister's house!

Madelyn called at 10:30 pm with the report on her day. Her room is housing kids from Maine, New Hampshire and Arizona and she's having a blast. They already built a rocket that they'll launch at graduation. I doubt I'll hear from her again...she was already in that place where she's completely enmeshed in the experience. Hooray, Madelyn! I can't believe you actually got to go! You rock!!!