Now what?

One of my favorite movies is 'The Candidate', starring Robert Redford.

Basically, Redford starts out almost on a whim as a reluctant senate candidate with no hope of victory. Surrounded by a crew of pros Redford winds up winning and, dazed and suddenly on his own, utters one of the great closing lines ever: "Now what?"

I had my "Now what?" moment around 6 p.m. today when the examiner looked over, shook my hand and handed me my temporary Flight Instructor certificate.

I'll share the check ride story later, when my brain is a little less mushy, but from start to finish, earning the CFI has been one of the most difficult things I've ever done. Suffice it to say the ride, including the five-hour oral exam, was incredibly hard.

I didn't expect to pass the first time and I almost didn't. That I did is testament to Cheryl's skill and patience as an instructor.

It's impossible to accurately describe the debt that I owe her for the skill with which she turned me from a decent pilot into a decent teacher. One does not necessarily follow the other naturally, by the way.

So the big question is "now what?"

To which the answer, as of tonight, is "I don't know." I have one student lined up and I need to line up more.

I'm not going to worry about any of that for at least two days. Right now, I'm ready for a (very short) break.