Down Below (Jessie Lynn)

Wow! It has only been one month since the Miss Rodeo USA Pageant??? I know, I can hardly believe it myself.  So much has happened in such a short amount of time, but if you’ve been keeping up with my journey on our social media platforms then you are well aware of that.

Earlier in the month of February, I had an amazing opportunity to fulfill another dream that I discovered about 3 years ago… Scuba Diving! Yes, you read that right, scuba diving. Over the years the owners of Vortex Spring Adventures and I have created a lasting friendship that has led us on many journeys together. This one just so happened to land me in an Open Water Scuba Diving Certification Course. On February 4th I traveled down to Ponce DeLeon, FL to begin what was going to be the most exciting weekend of diving. Early that Saturday morning, I packed some of my belongings to head on down for the first portion of our course, the pool dives in Panama City Beach. Mr. Billy, my instructor, called and said “ok it’s your choice but the temperature is currently at 39 degrees and we have about 30 mph winds down here this morning. Do you still want to dive?” Of course, being the “no pain, no gain” cowgirl that I am, I said, “yes, I’m already in route!” I can happily say that we never left the toasty 84-degree water the entire time we were in class.

Later that afternoon, we moseyed on back to Vortex to complete the second portion of dives for that day in the spring. Note, this spring stays at 68 degrees year-round and produces nearly 28 million gallons of water per day. Needless to say, the wet suites came out for these dives. Two dives and a whole bunch of skills later, we had completed the first day of my diving course. Only two more dives to go before I received my NAUI Open Water Diving Certification.
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Around mid-day on Sunday we suited up, took some photos, went over our dive charts and prepared to make our final two dives, only this time we were headed down to the cavern, at an approximate depth of 50 feet, for some underwater photos, film and safety skills. Bam! Worked like a charm. My final two dives were complete and I was ready to get that certification card. We cinched everything up and now I’m ready to dive across the globe. Yes, I will most definitely be taking a trip to the “Keys” at some point. Major bucket list item there. The amazing thing about this experience is that it challenged me to trust myself and know that I could do it. You can too! Nothing is impossible because even the word impossible spells, “I’m Possible.”  A big thanks to Daryl and Angela Dockery for sponsoring this journey and for always taking care of “Vortex Springs Singing Cowgirl.”

Now, I’ve never seen a rodeo take place under water, but I have seen the “Fishing Rodeo” that happens every year in Destin, FL. If you’ve never been, that is something you need to check out.

Speaking of rodeos, you know what’s coming up? That’s right, my first rodeo of the season! February 25-26th I’ll be in Columbiana, AL where you need to come join us for an amazing weekend. Also, be sure to join us this Saturday, February 19th in Athens, AL. for my Coronation Banquet. Tons of food, live entertainment, auctions and more!
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Well, the time has come where I must head off to another meeting here in Nashville, but be on the lookout for some stellar news concerning the “Be a Dreamcatcher Podcast,” upcoming events and appearances. Trust me, you’re going to want to be a part of this journey.  
 
            Until we meet on the trail again,
            Jessie Lynn Nichols
            Miss Rodeo USA 2022