Charting a New Course

Ever since I was a child I have wanted to be a pilot. It was a dream that seemed so fantastical but natural, I was sure one day it would happen.

In a way, much of my younger years was devoted to aviators. Many of my first pets were birds. My family was known to take in injured animals. I nursed some fledglings back to health and saw many pass on to bigger skies. My first real volunteer job was with a wildlife rehabilitation center for Pelicans. Without my own wings, I somehow found ways to support others in their journey to flight. later, I would work for the airlines in customer service, just to be close to something I always felt was like home.

After many years, and many paths, I finally earned my wings on a snow covered runway in Bluffton Ohio. I started my lessons in Oakland CA. It wasn't till I moved to Ohio, that I caught on to a culture of aviation that truly connected too -- wide open skies, family-run shops, and people with a home-grown love for aviation that surpassed just professional interest.

Now that I am back in Oakland, I miss that connection. Sure, there is a wealth of aviation history here, but most of what I come across now, can best be described of as "aviation business." For a while, this made me question just what I was looking for in aviation, and whether it was really he right place for me.

Aviation is a huge part of my life. So, I stopped searching for the right "culture" to belong. It has always been here -- in my heart.

So I'm charting a new course. This doesn't mean that I am "inventing" a new aviation culture, but rather creatively adding to ones that I feel are becoming more grounded in todays fast paced aviation world. And, then again, there may be a few inventions too.

I welcome you to join me in my adventures as I learn, explore, create, share and mend. And thank you for reading!