This story describes my experiences from when I decided to learn to fly gliders until I received my Silver badge almost two years later. In the process I made 207 flights totalling 76 hours, of which 48 flights and 50 hours was solo flying. Much of the content of this tale is edited from e-mail messages I sent to Jerry Barnette, a good friend who I met through Free Flight model flying, who played a major part in my decision to take up gliding.