Amy’s Journey Across the Globe

With only a 45 minute layover in Atlanta, I got a workout in running through the airport. After the 2 hour flight to Belize, Joseph, my cab driver, took me to the San Pedro Water Taxi. He pointed out the Belize River and said if you swam across it, it would be the last thing you do. It is full of massive crocodiles but also manatees so I was thinking maybe it would be worth the risk. The directions I received to get to my condo on Caye Calker Island were to take a right after debarking the water taxi and walk about 10-15 minutes to the end of the split. I asked the man if he could be more specific and he replied with, “If you get lost just ask someone for directions.” Upon arriving, I realized there was only one dirt road and I really couldn’t have gotten lost. The smell of fresh seafood and reggae music filled my senses. I stopped for fresh lobster and a shrimp kabob and met a fisherman named, Sparrow. He was from Colombia and was very eager to make me his girlfriend. I politely declined but thanked him for the delicious meal. On the other side of the island which is only a 10 minute walk, are stingrays that come to shore to greet visitors. A few swam over my feet as I watched the sunset over a pier. While drinking a glass of wine by the water, I met a farmer from Seattle named Simon. Having similar interests and hobbies, we decided to have dinner together at an Italian restaurant. He walked me back to my condo to spare me from Sparrow and I fell asleep at 8:30pm.

Sun rays entered my room at 5:30am and I walked to the water to watch it rise. A short walk later, I found a place to enjoy breakfast on the beach. After my salami, egg, and avocado bagel, I found an empty hammock to read in while a dog rested in the shadow it created. The taxis on the island are golf carts and the people smile and say hello. Finland is known as the happiest country in the world but I argue that it’s Belize. You can walk down the gravel roads barefoot while food vendors grill fresh seafood they caught that morning. Rain came pouring down, flooding the streets and delayed my snorkeling tour. I was accompanied by a couple from Michigan named Natalie and Jason along with our guides, John and Axel. Axel was learning how to be captain but he had difficulty steering. He almost crashed us into a pier so John quickly took over. I don’t think Axel is quite ready. We took cover under our jackets and the boat cover but the rain cleared up as quickly as it started. The sun beat down intensely, immediately warming us up. I eagerly jumped off the side of the boat right after we came to a stop. At Hol Chan Reef we swam alongside stingrays, a puffer fish, and colorful coral. A green sea turtle came face to face with me while we were both coming up for air. I dove down as far as my ears could handle and held my breath longer than I should have to be closer to these majestic creatures.

At Shark Alley, we saw about 20 nurse sharks feeding. I had to back up from a few but their curiosity rivaled mine. I even apologized to one I bumped into. We swam alongside a shipwreck when the sharks dispersed. Even in the wreckage, Mother Nature found a way. Coral protruded from the windows and covered the top. My childhood dreams came true when I swam alongside a manatee before she took a nap on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. All the while, a mother bottlenose dolphin and her calf swam around our boat with a rainbow in the background. The guides told us, “touch nothing, take nothing, and break nothing.” If people respected nature like the people of Belize do, we could all live in paradise. This was a perfect weekend before heading into the jungle to track howler monkeys.

I woke up with the sunrise and soaked up the last few minutes on my ocean view porch until it was time to catch the ferry back to Belize City. Juan Carlos from the Tropical Education Center was at the dock to pick me up. When we got to the TEC, I dropped off my backpack in my cabana and went for a hike. I heard there was a crocodile that lives in a pond nearby. They used to be known for having primitive brains but they’ve been observed carrying sticks on their snouts to attract birds. The bird swoops down for the stick and the crocodile gets a mouth full of feathers. I didn’t see the crocodile but I was lucky enough to see a grey fox run across the path and an agouti undisturbed by my presence. A short while later I sat on my porch and read. Lights were out at 8pm at the center so a headlamp was necessary; both to find the restrooms as well as to avoid stepping on a venomous snake. The food was prepared fresh by locals and time and attention went into each dish. After dinner, I evaded stepping on a trail of leaf cutter ants and a toad on my way back to my cabana. The cool breeze and frogs put me fast to sleep that night.

I checked my shoes for snakes and loaded up on sunscreen and insect repellent before heading into the bush with Dr. Kayla Hartwell. I was there to assist her track howler monkeys and conduct a census on them. Denny, a local who Kayla hired, used a machete to create a path for us to track a group of 3 howler monkeys. While swatting mosquitos and making our way through the brush, we kept our senses on alert for any sign of monkeys. We walked and crawled through a cave while ducking under stalactites and bats. A few hours into the trek, we smelled her feces before seeing the first female howler monkey high in a wild bread nut tree. She was accompanied by another female. The male, named August, was close by. He was originally found in the only tree left standing in an area full of deforestation. He was taken to Wild Tracks where he was rehabilitated and released back into the wild at Runaway Creek. The females survived a hurricane in 2010 as well as the one in 2023. The resilience of these animals is remarkable. We observed them peacefully resting in the trees and examined their feces before heading back to the truck. Kayla’s Toyota had a lot of character with a mud flap that wouldn’t lose grip. It was difficult to see while driving through the rain due to the windshield wipers not working but it made it from point A to B. While looking for crocodiles, we saw tracks from an ocelot, tapir and jaguar at the water’s edge. Ending a day sweaty, muddy, and famished is a day well spent.

Today Kayla and I split up. She went with Denny, and I went with Nico and his machete. Nico works for Wild Tracks and assists Kayla. The rain and wind made it difficult to hear so we had to rely solely on sight. Howler monkeys are like finding a needle in a haystack when you have to rely on your sight alone. We took turns in back as “jaguar bait” but I was more concerned about the snakes. Seeing a fer-de-lance in the jungle is like seeing an octopus in the ocean. They blend in so well you could be looking right at one and not see it but they can see you. They carry hemotoxic venom which causes blood to coagulate, pain, swelling, and about a 9% survival rate without treatment. While climbing a steep hill, I was looking down for snakes and Nico was looking up for monkeys. We found the second group of howler monkeys we were searching for. Their populations are declining due to habitat destruction and poaching and we saw plenty of evidence of that. We picked up beer bottles, soda cans, and candy wrappers while following boot prints in the mud. The monkeys we were observing were another pair that were released into the wild. The purpose of this project is not only to rehabilitate and release the monkeys, but also for them to reproduce. With them was a baby.

He was mostly on mom but sometimes was climbing alone and once on dad. He was estimated to be about 4 months old. The tears rolling down Kayla’s face said it all. There are still 3 members of this group we still need to locate. We spent 2 days searching for them. Their range was much larger making it more difficult to locate them. The male, named Puck, stalked and tackled Kayla about a year ago. They rolled down a hill together while he was trying to bite her. She pinned his arms behind his back and threw him in a cage sending him back to Wild Tracks until they deemed him releasable once again. Spending so much time in the bush, Kayla has experienced some interesting encounters. She was walking through a cave in knee deep water shining her flashlight looking for eye shine from a crocodile. When she put her flashlight towards her feet there he was. She had to quickly backtrack out of the cave unaware if the crocodile was following due to the murky water she created trying to get out.

After tracking in the jungle, I went to the Belize Zoo to help out with introduction ideas, exhibit modifications, and enrichment. It is a beautiful naturalistic zoo in the heart of Belize. I brainstormed with them, offered suggestions, and observed the keepers care for their animals. After zoo close, I took the trail back to the TEC. It is a 5 minute walk down the highway and a 15 minute walk along a trail. While cars were speeding by at 60mph, a truck full of 3 men slowed down and stopped where I was walking. I picked up speed, crossed the highway, and ran back to my cabana while periodically looking over my shoulder. I felt safe so far in Belize, but when you get the feeling that something isn’t right, it’s important to listen to that.

Belize has a lot of controlled as well as uncontrolled forest fires. Controlled burns are important to vegetation and for regrowth. Uncontrolled fires can be devastating. That evening, Betsy, a knowledgeable environmentalist, Filiberto, a security guard and I went in search of fires that were getting too close to the Tropical Education Center. We stopped the truck several times to smell for smoke and to look for flames. My eyes didn’t have too much time to adjust to the darkness but the milky way still lit up the sky. After locating several fires and reporting them to the TEC, we continued down the one lane gravel road. At one point Filiberto got out of the truck to see if the road was passable. We saw 2 fires fairly close together next to the highway about a mile from the TEC. To add fuel to the fire, Filiberto almost stepped on the highly venomous ver-de-lance pit viper.

I packed my headlamp, binoculars, rain jacket, and water like every other morning before heading into the field. The last 2 days were spent tracking the third group of howlers that were released into Runaway Creek. We weren’t able to locate them but we were lucky enough to see 2 spider monkeys and their baby. We climbed into caves to search for crocodiles and saw tracks from a jaguar. I wanted to see a fer-de-lance from a safe distance but ended up seeing 2 on this trip way too close for comfort. Nothing makes the hair stand up on your arms more than being in the presence of the deadliest snake in Central America. We looked up for monkeys, down for snakes, and side to side for jaguars. Afternoons were spent helping out at the beautiful Belize Zoo. I have bug bites from head to toe and pulled off 2 ticks but I would do it all over again. I am so grateful to have helped out with such an incredible project where I was challenged, inspired, and humbled. I knew I would be coming to a beautiful country to learn, help, and educate, but I didn’t know I would be leaving with friends and memories that will last a lifetime.

On December 10th, 2022, I ran to each connecting flight on my long journey to the Arctic Circle. The perfectly clear night allowed the Northern Lights to illuminate the sky as we flew over Greenland. When I noticed the curtains behind me on the final flight, I realized I accidentally upgraded myself while selecting my seat. A day later, I made it to Finland.

I met Molly in Helsinki for our short connecting flight to Ivalo. Stepping off the plane in Lapland, we were instantly shocked with a bitter cold. After adding a few more layers and a short shuttle ride later, we reached Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. Small sleighs were available to carry our bags to our glass igloo where we would be staying for the next 3 nights. It was large enough for 2 twin beds, a toilet, and sink but small enough that the beds had to be pushed together. The showers were a 2 minute walk through the snow to a cabin next door. Jet leg hit me hard and I fell asleep at 6pm but the aurora alarm went off several times throughout the night. We watched the sky light up green and dance, then watched it fade as quickly as it appeared. In between auroras, we spotted several shooting stars. This place is magical. It was difficult staying asleep with the view of the bright moon making a complete orbit around the igloo each night. We were lucky to be awake again at 2am because the most spectacular light show didn’t trigger the alarm. When electrically charged particles enter the Earth’s atmosphere at very high speeds from space, they create the Aurora Borealis. Even on a perfectly clear night you only have a 50% chance of seeing the Northern Lights. In my experience that chance has been much lower. Seeing the sky dance made stepping outside the igloo in -30 degrees more than worth it. Molly was so excited she ran out of the igloo without any pants on. With frosted eyelashes we watched the aurora throughout the night with the Big Dipper shining brightly through. I live for moments that make me feel alive and this was one of those moments.

At 8am, breakfast was served at the Aurora Restaurant. Pastries, croissants, and eggs filled us up and coffee kept us warm. In frigid temperatures like these you have to wear everything you own and not have any exposed skin for more than a few minutes; especially when you’re about to spend the day outside. It was -18F and even though we packed our warmest clothes, we were still given thick snowsuits and blankets to put over them. Hand and foot warmers were also necessary and we still felt the cold penetrate through our clothing. All reindeer in Lapland belong to someone. They work in winter and roam free in summer. We met a few Sami people and a handful of reindeer that would be pulling us deep in the Lapland forest. The soft pink sky illuminated the snow heavily blanketed on spruce and pine trees as we slowly passed by. It was quiet, tranquil, and beautiful as we watched the sky start to darken at 2pm. The only sound came from the reindeer’s hooves in the snow. Even though the bitter cold was unforgiving, the scenery made it more than worth it. We warmed up after the sleigh ride in a lavvu, a traditional tent with tea by a fire. The Sami are indigenous people from Finland, Sweden, and Norway who are skilled hunters and reindeer herders. Our guide told us about his culture and reindeer before we said, “buorre matki!” Every night at dinner we noticed different groups of people. Most only stayed for a night or two but we were staying for five. For dinner, we were served reindeer.

The following day, we put on layers under our snowsuits along with 2 sets of gloves. A short shuttle ride later, we met our sled dogs. They were eagerly tied up to a sled that was secured to a tree. The dogs were jumping 4 feet in the air with excitement. Before they could run, we had to learn how to mush. One person sits in the sled while the other drives and gives commands. The dogs are well trained and knew the route but they sometimes needed to be encouraged to slow down. Molly drove the sled first while I enjoyed the ride. Unlike yesterday, the trees were a blur of white as we raced along the path with Mannheim Steamroller, “Carol of the Bells” playing in our heads. I centered myself in the middle of the sled hanging on for dear life. Our dogs were so eager, they were trying to pass the pack ahead of us. A snowmobile led the way while 6 groups of mushers followed behind. When we switched mushers, we also had to switch dogs to balance out the speed. When it was time for me to mush, I had to put all my body weight on the brakes to slow us down. Each foot balances on a one inch piece of metal behind the sled with the brake in the middle. After braking, it takes some skill to once again find your footing. I was close to falling off several times which would have sent Molly flying off with a pack of excited dogs. Even though we were in the same forest as yesterday, today was anything but relaxing. It was exhilarating flying through the forest, balancing around turns, and hearing the excitement from the dogs when we weren’t going fast enough for their liking. It was so exciting, I didn’t notice my eyelashes freezing. After the ride, we met the puppies in training, and like their parents, they were full of energy and very eager.

We thawed out at an art gallery before getting ready to meet Santa. Being so close to the North Pole, it was only fitting. We were picked up by an elf and walked along the snow covered pathway to Santa’s house. He was waiting for us to arrive as he watched out the window. A fire was burning in the fireplace and cookies were served by Mrs. Clause. The house was cute and quaint with lots of dolls and presents. We knew he was busy, being so close to Christmas, so we didn’t overstay our welcome. His reindeer were right outside so we brought them some treats before going back to our last night in the igloo.

After breakfast, we checked out of the igloos and moved into the cabins. A Finnish tradition is going from a smoke sauna to an ice cold lake. Because it was an expensive add-on, we tried recruiting people at dinner. With no luck, Molly booked the polar plunge for us for Christmas. We had a heat wave of -1F so we decided it would be a good day to follow tradition. In the middle of the lake, there were 2 men chopping the thick layer of ice for us to enter. After about 15 minutes in the smoke sauna, we ran through the snow to the frozen lake. Molly climbed down the ladder into the water making it about 3 seconds. I made it 2. When it was my turn to enter, the water had already started freezing over so I had to kick my way in. After a few rounds from the sauna to the lake, I made a snow angel in my bathing suit against my better judgement. The experience was surprisingly fun and relaxing but the real relaxation occurred when we made it back to our cabin with a fire. I taught Molly how to play chess and we played rummy until we couldn’t keep our eyes open any longer.

The first time we attempted going skiing it was -35F so the ski resort was closed. The following day we took advantage of the few hours of daylight and -15 degree temps. It was a long cold ride up the chairlift, but the view was incredible. The sky was a turquoise pink and the snow billowed over the trees. Molly had only been skiing once and it had been a while since I went snowboarding. We made our way down the hill enjoying the view and ignoring the cold. There was a restaurant and gift shop on top where we warmed up by a fire and bought a couple souvenirs. After a few more runs we had lunch at the lodge and had a fire when we returned home.

There is no question that Finland is the happiest country in the world. It is beautiful and magical and I hope to return. My flight home was a bit adventurous. The flight to Dallas was delayed and we sat on the ramp for over an hour. Upon arriving, I skipped the line and jumped on a moving golf cart to make it just in time for another delayed flight. Although it was difficult to say goodbye to Finland, I’d soon be saying hello to Belize…

Molly and I met in Chile on October 27th, 2022, for our 5th continent together. Santiago was a welcoming, bustling city with a surplus of restaurants. We settled on Borago which is known as one of the top 50 restaurants in the world and it did not disappoint. We had 14 sizable courses paired with three glasses of wine. The presentation was just as impressive as the taste. Detail was not spared in every mouthwatering dish.

Santiago also offered some beautiful views from the top of a chair lift as well as at the Japanese Botanical Gardens. Although the temperature was warm enough to walk around in a tank top, the temperatures plummeted as we headed south. After sitting on an airplane for five hours for a two-hour flight to Balmaceda, we took a 4-hour road trip to Puerto Rio Tranquilo. The landscape was a color palette of marble. It was white through a blizzard, blue along glacial water, and green through the lush forest. We drove by the aftermath of an avalanche which was followed by clear blue skies. When we looked left, we missed waterfalls to our right and when we looked right, we missed cows to our left.

As we meandered up and around the mountain, sliding on the gravel road, motion sickness got the best of me and the potholes got the best of the back left tire. My head bounced off the head rest like a ping pong ball when I briefly dozed off from sleep deprivation. Ten minutes after arriving at El Puerto Hotel and 12 hours after eating anything, we were informed that our kayaking tour was cancelled due to our late arrival and strong winds. Determined to see the Marble Caves, we inquired about chartering a boat. There just happened to be two openings on a boat leaving in 10 minutes. We skipped another meal and ran to the harbor to catch a small fishing boat that took us through Rio Tranquilo to the Marble Caves. We were accompanied by a handful of guys from the US and Canada who quit their jobs, bought a car in Chile and decided to drive from South America to California. The boat ride was cold and the water was choppy. The boat that would have seated eight comfortably sat 10 of us. It was worth the discomfort because the caves were out of worldly with the blue marble reflecting off the clear turquoise water.

We drove around them, through them, and drank from the fresh water lake. The boat ride back was cold, rainy, and the choppy water turned into large curling waves that we aggressively bounced over, getting airborne at every peak. When we finally made it back to dry land we found a place to warm up by a fire and devoured our first real meal of the day. The following morning, after breakfast, we were informed that the weather improved, the winds were calm, and kayaking was on. It was a much different and welcoming experience in a kayak. We were able to feel the smooth yet jagged marble and kayaked through the caves. Before arriving, we were advised against going to the caves since weather often cancels tours and they are very difficult to get to. While the advice was accurate, it was worth the risk.

Louis picked us up at 5:45am with a little pot of coffee brewing in the van. He kept repeating, “Un cafe es necessito” as the birds slowly started to wake up. We zig zagged around the narrow dirt road next to cliff faces once again passing waterfalls while the sun rose from behind the mountains. Two flights and a three-hour bus ride later, we made it to Puerto Natalles, the hub of Patagonia. The wind was so strong, it not only cancelled our penguin tour, but it was also shattering windows of store fronts. It was just shy of hurricane force winds. All roads to and from the town were closed due to a drag race occurring that afternoon. We cheered on “Spa.” Some cars were going on two wheels and others like “Slow Car” were living up to their names. We were accompanied by condors, rheas and flamingos on the next part of the journey. Guanacos appeared alongside the towering mountains of Argentina. We experienced four seasons in this land of extremes. To say these places are difficult to get to would be an understatement. We finally took the route to the end of the world to one of the most beautiful places on the planet…

Hiking in Patagonia is not for the faint of heart. The sun beats down intensely but being so close to Antarctica, the air has a bone chilling cold. The wind has the potential to body slam you to the ground. Mother Nature is a beast here and she will eat you alive if you are ill prepared. Torres del Paine, meaning “tower of blue skies” was anything but blue yesterday. The rain, snow, and hail made the towers almost impossible to see. Today, however, we could not have asked for better weather. The 11 mile trek to the towers ascends through a forest, over several waterfalls, and up a steep, rocky incline. Each stop was more beautiful than the last. We drank from the springs when we were thirsty and pushed on when we were tired. The beauty here comes with a price. It was one of the most difficult hikes I have been on but one with the most incredible views.

We took a catamaran across Lake Peohe with an incredible backdrop of Torres del Paine. We hiked a beautiful seven miles on the “W” trek to Refugio Grey which is one of the stops along the hike that people camp, shower, eat, and stock up on supplies. The directions we received to get here were more like a scavenger hunt. We crossed several waterfalls, walked through a forest, and alongside a glacier. Molly pointed out so many waterfalls I thought she was starting to recommend them. Birds flew over, fish swam under, and the wind persisted as we pressed on. My blisters on my feet needed attention but the views were so distracting I didn’t notice. A few hours later we reached our destination. I immediately purchased gauze, bandaids, and antiseptic wipes. We spent the night in bunk beds in a shared room with a couple from Mexico and a woman we never saw. Everyone we met was from a different country than the last. We had a group dinner and shared bread and stories. One couple from Australia had taken six months off to travel the world. Another woman from Canada arrived solo to hike the trail alone. Even though we all came from very different backgrounds, cultures and countries, we all shared a love of adventure and travel. A short walk to the water exposed the sun setting over the lake while we listened to the thundering sound of glacier ice crashing into the water. The following morning when I didn’t think I could take another step, we put on crampons and hiked across Glacier Grey. We had to think about each step and not hesitate while jumping over the deep crevices. Our guides held onto us as we peered over the edge to see a waterfall and allowed us to walk through ice caves. A stretcher was off to the side, just in case.

We were accompanied by a physicist from Sweden and an engineer from Chile on the next seven miles of our journey. After our hike, catamaran, and bus, we flew three hours back to Santiago. A trip to Chile wouldn’t be complete without a wine tasting. Our driver, Ramon, picked us up after breakfast to take us to the Santa Rita Vineyard. He was a sweet man who giggled often and was very excited that Molly spoke Spanish. We met a man who said he was from “everywhere,” but we concluded that he was American. After learning all about the wine making process, we tasted five different wines in a cellar. One of the drivers was translating for English speaking guests and he did such a great job he started riffing. We took his recommendations and purchased a bottle for Ramon. Our driver was so touched he took us to a friend’s house for enchiladas on the side of the road. While it was a kind gesture, I felt uneasy when Ramon went back to the car leaving us with a man who wanted to show us inside his office space. I expressed my gratitude for the meal and hurried back to the car. We said goodbye to the Andes as we made our way to the airport. Chile is not a country to be missed. From the people, to the culture, to the spectacular views, there is no place like it. Patagonia is wild and it will show you what you’re made of. The most difficult destinations yield the best rewards. After the long trip home, I replaced my tank tops with gloves, hats, and a winter coat for the next trip of a lifetime…

“Mother mother ocean, I have heard you call. Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall.” -Jimmy Buffett

“Although the radius of visibility at sea on a perfectly clear day is only twelve miles, for some reason we grasp the vastness of the world when we are out on the open water more than we ever could on land.”

Terrified, screaming, and ducking from the uncontrollable swinging boom, my cousins and I held onto the side of a sailboat for dear life as it tipped into the Atlantic Ocean. At age 8, you don’t expect to die but I thought I might as the sailboat barely stayed afloat while wave after wave crashed into us. My grandpa lived for adventure. He was not our captain that day, but he was a captain in the sky as well as in the water. He was my superhero. He wanted a sailboat and knew my grandma Joan would not approve so he bought one and named it Joan’s Island to soften the blow.

There is a peaceful solitude when a sailboat gracefully carves through the water. “Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self.” -May Sarton

July 19th, 2022, was a beautiful yet windy day. I wondered why I didn’t sign up for sailing lessons sooner. I arrived at my first lesson not knowing what to expect. What I did know was I wanted to learn a new skill while having fun and what better place to do that than on the open water? Greg would be taking me out on the 22-foot Ensign for my first lesson as I was training for my “light air” rating. We left the dock in “medium air.” As we entered the harbor, the waves were crashing, water was blasting us in the face and crashing onto the boat. Greg had me controlling the tiller and the sheet as a gust of wind tipped us horizontally. I flew across the boat and slammed my leg hard against the hull. Flashbacks from when I was 8 flooded my brain. When we returned upright, I practiced a few tacks we learned in class. He asked if I had sailed before and was shocked when I said no. I took that as a complement being fully aware of how I have operated vehicles in the past. We watched a sailboat turn over and right itself three times, heard the Coast Guard respond to a different overturned boat, and reported an upside-down sailboat that was slamming into the rocks. The Coast Guard had to rescue all of the crew. As we headed back to the dock, Greg had me tack and jibe through the sailboats in the mooring basin. He was yelling, “put the red boat on your right, put the blue boat on your left, go straight, tack now,” as I was maneuvering through the sailboats trying to get us back to dry land. My first attempt at docking, Greg said, “you’re coming in hot!” He told me to go around. As I was circling through the boats waiting for others to dock, I tried again. This time we were too far to make it. The third pass we coasted in smoothly, and safely. I looked up and noticed the black flag which means no one can sail due to dangerous conditions. My rating is for up to 10 knots. We sailed back in 32 knot winds.

I went back for my second lesson and sailed with a new volunteer and student. The man had a very militant way of teaching and ordered us around the boat. We learned more about tacking and jibing. During a tack, you sit opposite the boom with the wind to your back. After checking your blind spot and for traffic, you push the tiller all the way forward and straighten out before your end point. A jibe is a bit more complicated. Initially, you switch sides as you sheet in your sail. As you slowly push the tiller away, you let out the sail. The drill sergeant also ordered us how to use the jib. After I told him human arms don’t work in the direction he was ordering, he finally conceded that I was indeed correct. What I learned from that lesson was to stick up for myself no matter who it is.

The next lesson we learned right-of-way rules as we maneuvered around buoys taking turns going clockwise and counterclockwise around them while dodging other boats. Starboard has right-of-way over port unless you are on the same course in which the leeward boat has right-of-way over the windward boat. If you are being overtaken, you stay on course because you have the right-of-way. Mary and I hugged the buoys while enjoying our sail with an excellent volunteer. Tom made learning fun. He encouraged us while allowing us to make mistakes even when we almost crashed into the rocks. Making mistakes is the best way to learn. “Failure is only real when you refuse to see it as a learning experience and opportunity.” -Kristin Addis

Our final lesson was learning how to rescue someone or something that goes overboard. One student was so anxious to practice he put himself in the water before even getting into the boat. As he was walking backwards pulling his boat along the dock, he walked right off the dock. I helped him out with a ladder while another student helped me hold the boat to prevent it from smashing into him. While in the water he asked if this was going to affect his rating. Once we were on the water, where the crew overboard is more likely to happen, one person announces, “crew overboard” while keeping an eye on the person and points. If there is another crew member, they count boat lengths as the skipper sails on a beam reach for 5 to 6 boat lengths. Next, you tack hard to a broad reach for 3 to 4 boat lengths. As you luff your sails you can make your turn upwind to the person in the water. We took turns practicing crew over-boards. After successfully rescuing the buoy, I took us back in through the mooring basin. After about 20 minutes of tacking through the boats, our instructor yelled, “Amy! If you ever want to make it back to the dock, you’re going to have to jibe!” As I did what she said another lady yelled, “watch out for the kayaker!” who I almost ran over.

I missed the class the previous day and was preparing to make it up another time. My instructor said she saw everything she needed to see and I received my light air rating that evening. There were close calls, new skills learned, and lots of laughter. “Anything you love to do or are good at, it is important to pursue that. You never know what is going to light a fire in you.” -Reese Arthur

On my flight to Anchorage to meet Molly, there was a medical emergency two rows ahead. A flight attendant asked if there were any nurses or doctors on the plane for a man around my age whose lips were blue and he was passed out in his seat. His fiance was in a full out panic. Two doctors tended to him, the flight attendants brought him juice, and the flight continued. I took a cab from the airport to The Hyatt Place and met Molly in the lobby at 7pm. We walked to Moose’s for wine and pizza. Our server either hated us, or his job, or maybe both. It was busy but the food was good. It didn’t get dark until 11pm so the mountains were still visible from our hotel room when we returned.

After our continental breakfast the following morning, we took an Uber and a handful of bacon to the Alaska Railroad for our eight-hour train ride to Denali. Even though it was raining, it was beautiful. Molly was very concerned that people weren’t wearing masks, so she airdropped a photo of someone wearing one to people around us on the train. We laughed when one person rejected the message and when another sent something back. We saw three moose to the right that no other passengers seemed to notice. We enjoyed the view and delicious cocktails before arriving in Denali at 5pm.

After checking into the Denali Cabins, we ate dinner at their restaurant, The Prey. Our server was very nice until Molly mentioned Cocoa Beach. Unbeknownst to us, his ex-wife was from there and he went off on a long tangent. We ate quickly and left. Molly thought it was absurd that I was going to pack a bikini for Alaska until we realized there was a hot tub and sauna outside of our room. We ended up in our underwear in front of complete strangers. While I was showering in the trickle of water that was either freezing cold or scorching hot, Molly had the cover to the heater off while video chatting with her dad to help troubleshoot our problem. Denali was cold and damp and so was the cabin until the heater was fixed.  

At the neighboring coffee house, we had a light breakfast and caffeine before taking the shuttle to Denali National Park. It was raining again so we decided to start with the shorter three-mile Horseshoe Lake hike, which was breathtakingly beautiful. When the rain briefly let up, we took pictures of the trees and mountains in the reflection of the glassy water. We adapted to the rain and decided to continue to the Mount Healy Overlook which was a steep, tough hike. Molly suggested I climb a tree for a photo. The way I got up there wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. I did a running bear hug leap and inched my way up the trunk like a caterpillar. We watched the video back and heard a loud thump and lots of laughter when I made contact with the tree. After hiking, we made our way to the Gulch (town) for lunch. There were limited options, so we settled on the Doghouse. Molly aptly ordered a hotdog, and I had a veggie burger that crumbled when I picked it up. The bathroom was out of order, and the door was locked, so the cook gave me a knife to open it. It was yet another interesting find. While hiking, we crossed paths with a creepy man who walked into the Doghouse. Out of all of the empty seats, he sat directly next to me. We chose to forgo our food and went shopping instead. A man tried selling me a shirt and when I politely declined, he told me to “Go get bitch slapped by a bear.” Shopping ended as quickly as lunch and we avoided another encounter with Dennis, our Cocoa Beach hating server. What a place. We went back to the cabin for a bit before getting dinner at The Crow’s Nest. We were craving French onion soup all week and it happened to be their only soup of the day. We finally had a good server named Booster. Like everyone else we met, they only work in Alaska seasonally. Winters in Alaska are long, cold, and dark. Most people go back home during winter and those that are from there, don’t leave theirs. 

Our shuttle driver Mel dropped us off in the park again the following day. We hiked the Triple Lakes hike before having to turn around for our glacier flight. A woman from Fly Denali picked us up for our 3:15pm flight. Our pilot, Eric, gave us a safety briefing before assigning us to our seats based on weight. He told a girl my size to go to the back of the plane because that’s where the cool kids sit. Then he asked, “Who’s Molly?” Followed by, “Who’s Amy?” He said, “You’re not a pilot, are you?” I laughed and said, “actually yes.” He stared at me for a few seconds and said, “You aren’t going to talk about planes, are you?” I laughed and he put me in the copilot seat. He said he usually seats pilots in the back. The flight was about an hour each way. When we climbed to 12,500 feet, Eric said we were homesick angels. He pointed out sheep that he said looked like popcorn and three bears. When we were all looking for them, we realized he was talking about the restaurant. He told us not to post pictures of him because he didn’t want his parole officer to know where he was. Due to poor weather conditions, the flight before ours was not able to land on the glacier. Eric said he had good news and bad news. He said the good news was we were going to land. I asked what the bad news was and he said, “There isn’t any.” We flew into inner Denali and landed on Kahiltna Glacier. Before landing, we were able to see Denali from the sky which is usually covered in clouds. The glacier was huge and beautiful. We pranced through the snow and made snow angels. We felt so small being surrounded by so many large white snow-covered mountains. On the flight back, Eric asked me how my flight training went and about what animals I worked with. Flying over snow covered glaciers and through the mountains was insanely beautiful. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Molly saw the connection Eric and I made on the plane and encouraged us to exchange information. He gave us his brochure before we parted ways. Later that night, Eric asked if I would meet him for dinner. Because I didn’t have transportation, and he was far away, we weren’t able to make it work. He told me to visit him in Arizona, and he would teach me how to fly a tail dragger. We made plans to meet up in November. Some connections take a matter of moments to form while others take years. This one was formed instantly.

On our hike around the Savage River Loop trail, we saw several tracks from bears and moose. Molly unintentionally pissed off the bus driver by calling the trail the wrong name. He made an announcement telling people to call the trails by their real names to avoid confusion. He should have taken his own advice because the trail was indeed called the Savage River Loop. We walked around the Karsten area shops and had a drink. We found a Christmas store and Molly was in heaven. She bought several ornaments and I couldn’t decide who liked Christmas more, Molly, the store owner, or Kris Kringle himself. Back at the cabin, we went back in the sauna for as long as we could take the heat. In Denali, we were either freezing cold or burning hot. 

Both Molly and I argued about which one of us knew each other better. To prove which one did, we made bingo cards with things we thought the other person would say or do on the trip. Molly won and I had to buy the drinks on the train back to Anchorage. The ride back was only slightly less rainy than the ride there. Still beautiful, nonetheless. This time, we sat on top to get a better view of the surroundings. Back at The Hyatt Place, we had dinner with one of Molly’s friends who happened to be there at the same time we were. She bought us dinner and gave us a book with photos of the Northern Lights. Molly stayed with her and I went back to the room to chat with Eric.

Molly picked up our rental car from Avis while I ate breakfast and sat by the fire. Our next stop on the journey was Seward. We made several scenic stops along the drive. The first was to Virgin Creek Falls in Girdwood. It was a beautiful rainforest right off the side of the road with leaves bigger than our heads. There was a waterfall just a short walk into the forest. We backtracked to a pizza place we passed because we didn’t know when we would see a place for food again. I got up to get us some napkins. They were next to a group of guys around our age. When I got close, I realized they weren’t napkins and made an awkward loop around their table. Molly and I had a laughing fit when I sat back down and they were wondering what just happened. We continued onto Byron Glacier Trailhead. The rain became a daily theme but we weren’t bothered by it. We had rain coats and positive attitudes. There could have been a monsoon and we would have still enjoyed ourselves. We were in search of ice caves that we were advised to go to. We climbed over and under boulders to no avail. Even though we didn’t find them, it was still a nice hike. 

 After a few more pit stops, we made it to Seward Windsong Lodge where we would be staying the next few nights. Thor was a nice young man who was working at the front desk upon our arrival. He was very informative but a bit too chatty. He talked more with his hands than his mouth which is saying a lot, because that man could talk. He warned us that a grizzly bear mom and cub were spotted on the property within the last couple weeks. We were hoping to see them. As we drove into town, we missed a turn which led us to a mom and moose calf crossing the road with an incredible glacier backdrop. The mom was bitten by a wolf on her hind leg and was limping. There were flies all over the wound. The zookeeper in me wanted to get out and help but I knew there was nothing I could have done for her. We watched as she stripped leaves off of the tree branches. Staffing was minimal at all of the restaurants we tried to go to, so they weren’t taking anymore reservations. We went back to our cabin and had dinner at the bar. 

Molly and I both love kayaking so we were ecstatic for our Aialik Glacier Kayaking Tour in Kenai National Park. Our guide Murphy asked if anyone gets seasick before getting on the boat. When I raised my hand, he pulled a plastic bag out of his pocket and said, “I gotcha covered.” He also had one lone Band-Aid in his first aid kit. We were in good hands. I took the pill he gave me with no questions asked. It wasn’t until after I took it that I questioned if I should have taken a pill from a complete stranger, but it worked like a charm. The boat took us from Resurrection Bay in the Gulf of Alaska to Aialik Bay where our kayaks were docked on an island. Sea otters swam alongside us, Pacific harbor seals hauled out in the sun, a humpback whale surfaced for air, and we saw several puffins from our boat. A bald eagle was majestically perched on a tree and mountain goats peppered the mountains. We shared the boat with a hilarious doctor from Vermont. He was with a different group, but we were happy to be on the same boat. We thought he was part of the staff or at least knew them with how chatty he was with everyone. He told our guide that he had the best guide. Murphy was laughing as hard as we were. 

We were paired into groups based on ability. I had never been sea kayaking before so they had us in the inexperienced group. Boy was that a mistake. We were paired with two older ladies who were kayaking in circles and in the opposite direction. Murphy tried giving them a quick lesson, but nothing was working. He had to resort to pulling them along with a rope. They took this opportunity to kick their legs up and not even attempt to help. He asked them to paddle but they refused and enjoyed the ride at Murphy’s expense. He was a trooper though even as we watched him quickly fatigue. Molly and I paddled ahead and made it to the glacier. A sea otter jumped between us and swam alongside us. We watched and listened to the thundering sound of glacier ice plummeting into the ocean. After several hours of traversing through the fjords, we kayaked to an island for lunch and saw about 20 stellar sea lions bathing on the rocks. If we thought our arms were sore after the trip, we couldn’t imagine Murphy’s. 

Everywhere we went in Alaska was short staffed. We ate at the eighth restaurant we entered. When we arrived, two men in front of us said they were seating tables based on the honor system. We were to tell the next people in line the same. Molly completely went with it and told everyone who entered the restaurant the system to the point where people thought she worked there. She even handed out menus and told them how long the wait would be. The men were in stitches and the servers loved her. I was on board with both assessments. 

We enjoyed delicious cheddar biscuits at a charming breakfast spot called Resurrection Cafe accompanied by the first good cup of coffee I had in Alaska. When we were full and awake, we went back to Kenai National Park to hike Exit Glacier Trail. It was quick and easy so we spoke to a ranger about Harding Ice Trail. She advised us that we didn’t have enough water or time in the day to finish it. When she said it was worth the difficulty of the hike we thought the risk was worth the reward and we were up for the challenge. We ran into more people Molly knew on the hike. They were former coworkers on a work hiking trip. Apparently Molly is a celebrity in Alaska. After they caught up, Molly caught up to me. The hike was as challenging as the ranger warned, more beautiful than we imagined, and totally worth it. We saw signs where the glacier used to be over the years and how much it has receded over time. As breathtaking as the glacier was, it was heartbreaking seeing how the warming of the planet made such an impact on where it is now located. On the way down, Molly tripped and we both heard a snap. It was accompanied by excruciating pain and she winced with each step. She didn’t complain once during the next three miles we had down the mountain. My driving scared Molly but she let me drive her to the closest urgent care for x-rays. They confirmed the brake, sent her off with crutches, and she demanded she drive the rest of the way even in a boot. 

Homer was our next destination and one of my favorite places I have ever visited. It was a quaint town with shops on either side of the “Spit.” Our Airbnb was a seaside yurt. Due to circumstances, we stayed in with a bottle of wine and cheese while watching our favorite show. We were disappointed that we hadn’t seen any bears yet, so we searched for a company that could take us to them.

J Bear tours returned our phone call early the next morning. They had an opening at 3:15, so we booked the bear viewing tour. Molly disclosed that she had a broken ankle and was wondering if they would still accommodate us. We were told they would check with our guide and get back to us. Chris called back and asked for more details. Molly told him she was still able to walk, better than most. He told us we may have to walk up to five miles on the beach to find the bears but Molly was unphased. He was concerned about his other clients so he moved his current tour to the next day to take us on it. We had our own private tour.

I once again sat in the copilot seat and when Chris heard I was a pilot, he let me fly the plane. Over the radio, another pilot asked Chris if there were any single ladies on his flight. Molly and I rolled our eyes and informed him, he had two. Chris asked if we ever landed on a beach before. When we said ne, he said, “Me either.” He took the controls and we landed on the beach at Lake Clark National Park. Only a half mile walk down the beach we found six brown bears fishing for salmon. We watched them for a few hours while they played, fished, and dug for clams. We even witnessed a mom teach her cubs how to fish. We had a close call when a cub ran up to us maintaining eye contact as it got way too close for comfort. Chris sternly told us to get down to show submission. The bear ran off to the side and fished for salmon with the others. Two adults walked by us so closely I could see the blood on their mouths and hear their breathing. Being only 10 feet away from a brown bear makes you happy to be alive.

We continued walking and approached a river. Chris carried Molly across it, so her cast didn’t get wet. He was taking us to his friend Joe, the one who was searching for single ladies. Without realizing who it was, I took a photo of a bear in front of his group. I asked if he wanted the photo and we exchanged numbers. Chris told me that was a smooth move. I cringed when I realized that it was Joe. He seemed super cool but kept wanting to show me pictures of animals on his phone after Chris told him I was a zookeeper. I ignored him to watch the bears. We heard there was another bear sighting not too far away. We flew to their location and watched a mom with her cub. It was approaching dusk, so their bodies were silhouetted by the sun. The cub stood up to see over the grass to watch us watch him. He looked like a teddy bear with his fluffy fur and sweet face. Chris called the rangers to bring a wheelchair for Molly so she could be more comfortable. He pushed her through the sand and carried her when we reached water. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide. When she was able to walk, he carried the wheelchair. He was faster than us with all of his props than we were with none. He was starting to get tired, so I jokingly pushed him in the wheelchair, losing control, sending him straight down a hill for the river. Chris let me fly us back to Homer and all of the restaurants were closed by the time we landed. Molly and I expressed our gratitude to Chris and hugged him good-bye.

While at a grocery store getting food for dinner, Joe texted me to meet up with him and his friend Macklemore. We debated going out but thought it might be fun to hang out with some locals. Dinner turned into drinks and drinks turned into bar close. Joe asked me if I worked with Alex the orangutan at the zoo. He certainly did his homework. They tried to get us to change our flights, but we were airborne a couple hours later. 

On my flight home, I texted Molly about an attractive guy I was sitting next to on the plane. She suggested I get a third number on the trip. When I introduced myself, he put on his headphones. You can’t win them all.

We traveled by plane, train, bus, boat, kayak and car and met some incredible people and animals along the way. We hiked over 40 miles through rainforests, up mountains, over glaciers, to bears, and breathtaking overlooks. Not only did we see three national parks, I got to fly to one of them. I don’t know if I’m more sore from all the hiking or from laughing. I’ll never forget this trip and I’m so grateful to have been on it. What a beautiful state and we only scratched the surface. This is what I live for, and I couldn’t have felt more alive.

There is no feeling in the world or words to describe flying an airplane alone for the first time. I was physically shaking after two laps in the pattern when I picked up my instructor from the tower. I almost quit thinking I wasn’t cut out for this but decided to give it another chance. It took a lot of courage to get back in the airplane alone again but I did. There was a blue moon that evening, snow on the ground and the sun was close to setting. I took off on runway 33R, proving to myself that I can do this. The sun was setting to my right as the moon was rising to the left. Time stood still as I took in the beautiful moment.

My family could not have been more supportive even though they feared for my life every time I got into an airplane and feared for theirs when I flew over their homes. They would never get in a plane with me but they were there every step of the way.

Part of flight training is to do three cross country flights alone. Two have to be more than 50 nautical miles and one has to be to two different airports totaling 150 nautical miles. My interpretation of a “cross country flight” was that the flights had to be across the country. I asked my instructor if my first one could be to Alaska. That was a hard no so I settled on Manitowoc, Wisconsin. I had a few practice lessons for the flight learning different ways to navigate. That summer I got lost in a parking lot using GPS but the one I struggled with most was with VORs. This stands for very high frequency omnidirectional range and it’s as confusing as the name. You turn the OBS (Omni bearing selector) until the CDI needle is centered with a “To” indication for the radial you are flying on. You then verify with the Morse code identifier. If the needle moves to the left, you move to the left and vise versa. The needle, however, will swing as you get close to the station. As we approached the airport, Mark told me we were in the cone of confusion. I said, “I’m always in the cone of confusion with VORs.”

We also used ground references such as highways, lakes, water towers and large cities to navigate. This sounds fairly simple but I always had difficulty seeing the airport even when we were right above it. One flight I almost landed on a set of buildings thinking it was the runway. My eyes eventually grew accustomed to airports and I realized that landing on buildings would have been frowned upon. We flew to the Fox River Airport and I made the call to other traffic calling it everything but it’s actual name. “Fox Valley traffic this is Cessna 4978 Bravo at 3,000 feet coming from the east inbound for landing, River West traffic.” The next call was to “River Fox,” followed by “West River.” My instructor concealed his laughter well.

He showed me how to file a flight plan so in case I didn’t return, authorities would know where to search for the plane. We took longer than expected and civil air patrol called Timmerman saying they were about to start search and rescue. I learned real quickly how to cancel the flight plan. Later that week, Mark told me he was going to have a rough day because he had all of his students who required special attention. I laughed and then said, “Wait, I fly with you today.” I did a couple more solo flights before my long flight to Manitowoc. Because President Biden was in town, there was a temporary flight restriction in the area. It didn’t start until 4:45 so I had a whole hour to practice in the pattern. Both the instructor I flew with that day as well as my own told me to land before the TFR began. Planes can and will be shot down if pilots attempt to fly in them. I was planning on doing three take offs and landings but was feeling confident so I did a couple more. My phone was ringing after landing the plane at 4:44. It was my instructor making sure I was out of the sky. He told me not to mess with the Federal Government and I said I still had 59 seconds left.

It was time to solo to Manitowoc after proving to my instructor that I could make it there and back safely. After waiting for traffic, the control tower cleared me for 22R for a northern departure. Throttle all the way in and maintaining the center line I pull the yoke back at 50 knots. At 1,200 feet I made my first turn out of the pattern. I glanced down at my iPad and noticed I had lost internet connection. I had planned on using GPS to get there. I thought about turning around but decided I would troubleshoot my internet problem because I was confident I could find the airport without it. After giving up on the internet I maintained a heading of northeast while checking my instruments periodically and scanning the sky for traffic. It started out as a beautiful day to fly. The air was smooth and the view of the lake was beautiful from the sky. I made the appropriate call as I neared the Sheboygan Airport letting other pilots know my location. “Sheboygan traffic, this is Cessna 4978 Bravo flying from south to north at 2,900 feet, Sheboygan traffic.” As I got closer to Manitowoc I tuned into their AWOS channel to get the current weather so I knew which runway to land on. The wind was coming from 260 degrees so I knew to land on runway 22, into the wind. That was when another problem presented itself. Freezing rain was reported in the area which I cannot and would not fly in. Ice will form on the wings causing loss of lift and potentially a stall that you cannot recover from. There was no longer anyone sitting next to me to ask questions to so all decisions had to be made alone. I looked for clouds but didn’t see any in the vicinity of the airport so I decided it would be safe to land. The gusts picked up as I entered the traffic pattern at 45 degrees to the downwind and even more so on base leg. As I turned onto final I was getting blown around quite a bit but managed to land on the center line with a huge sigh of relief. The events of the day were just beginning. On the way back to Timmerman, while looking for traffic, I saw a plane floating stationary ahead. This indicates that you are on collision course. In this scenario both pilots are to alter course to the right. He either didn’t see me or chose not to follow the rule because he turned to the left. I did the same to avoid a collision. When I made my call to Timmerman tower, after obtaining the current ATIS information, tower couldn’t see me on their radar. He asked me to call when I was on a two mile downwind for runway 33R. I made the call and he cleared me to land. He kept repeating the winds. I was about to land but the gusts prevented me from doing so. All I wanted to do was be back on the ground but I made the immediate decision to do a go around knowing that landing would have been hazardous in the current conditions. I put the carb heat and throttle all the way in and threw the flaps up. Immediately recognizing my mistake, I threw the flaps back to 10 degrees. Had I not caught my mistake the plane could settle back to the ground or worse, go into a spin. Other traffic was landing so tower had me extend my downwind until he told me otherwise. What seemed like forever he said, “turn now.” The winds were stronger and so were my nerves. Again, he kept repeating the winds. This made me more nervous than I already was. I landed the plane using left aileron and right rudder crabbing it into the wind before straightening out at the last minute. An instructor met me out at the plane. My maximum cross wind component at that time was five knots. The airplane’s is twelve. Any more than that would cause structural damage to the plane. The instructor said, “Are you ok? You just landed in a twelve knot crosswind.” I sat there happy to have survived that flight thinking how I had to do that two more times…

My next cross country flight was to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. This airport has twice as many runways than I am used to landing on. I practiced following the highway to the railroad tracks then the lake to the airport. That morning, the clouds were low but within legal limits and it was windy. After taking off, I lost GPS signal again, tower couldn’t see me on their radar and the clouds were lower than forecasted. With the build up of events as well as not sleeping well the night before, I decided to turn around after five minutes. I was disappointed but I was not feeling confident.

I kept checking the weather at the airports hoping I made the right call and I did. The cross wind component would have been more than the plane could handle. I tried again a few weeks later after weather cancelled a few more attempts. The anticipation was building up but the guys in the office made me laugh before my flight putting me at ease. Nothing could ever go smoothly though. While holding short of runway 15L tower gave me a wind check. The winds were now gusting at 19 knots. Having known that before getting into the plane I would not have gone. I thought it’s never going to be the perfect time or perfect conditions so I went for it. I was white knuckling the yoke and my arms and legs went numb as I was riding the waves of the wind. I climbed to smoother air this time rather than turning around. When I was scared I took deep breaths and when I was feeling confident I enjoyed the view. Timmerman asked me to enter the pattern at a right downwind for runway 22R on my way back. I got confused as to what she was asking from the location I was coming from. I was expecting her to have me enter on a right base. This was a good reminder that things can and do change constantly in the air. I couldn’t just pull over on the side of the road to think about how to do what she was asking so I continued on my path and she asked if I had an instructor with me. She cleared me to land from the direction I was heading and I called her after landing to apologize for going rogue. Mistakes were made and lessons were learned. It was all part of the process and the reason students fly alone. I never made the same mistake twice.

My last cross country flight was from Timmerman to Oshkosh then to Manitowoc and back. It was a beautiful day which meant there was a lot of traffic. Oshkosh tower could not have been kinder and Manitowoc traffic wouldn’t stop talking. I found a break in traffic and jaw jacking and was homeward bound. It was beautiful flying along Lake Michigan and I was taking in the view until someone let a balloon go right in front of my plane. Worried that the string would get tangled in the propeller I changed course to avoid more balloons. With my cross country flights completed it was now time for my checkride preparation with the FAA.

The maneuvers I learned in the very beginning of my training were the ones I would be tested on. Dark, ominous, cumulonimbus clouds started rolling in. I would never take off in those conditions alone but my instructor insisted that we would be fine. Reluctantly trusting him, tower told us to take off at our own risk and we left the pattern to practice the maneuvers. Mark kept looking over his shoulder making sure the clouds didn’t envelope the airport preventing us from landing. Lightning was striking to my right and clouds were closing in to my left. The wind was sporadic and dropping us like large pot holes. I had to maneuver around and fly between two dark clouds to make it back to the airport just in time. I scheduled my checkride with the FAA for May 15th, 2021 giving me a month to practice. I woke up and studied, took lunch and studied, got home and studied. I even studied in my sleep. My stress and nerves were building in anticipation. I flew with a couple new instructors to get a fresh perspective. One instructor thought I would be cutting it close and suggested I push back my checkride. I knew I could do it so I just booked a couple more practice lessons instead. My last flight with him, he said, “You’re ready.” Those were the two words I needed to hear. I saved the quote, “It always seems impossible until it’s done,” by Nelson Mandela for if and when I passed my checkride. The morning of my exam, I got a Facebook notification with my memories of the day. Four years ago on that day, I was standing outside Nelson Mandela’s prison cell in South Africa with the caption, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” With goosebumps on my arms, the assessor from the FAA arrived for my exam…

May 11th, 2020: After months of preparation for a trip to Tanzania to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro, I got the news that the flight was cancelled. Devastated and determined to get there one way or another I decided if they were going to cancel flights I’d fly myself. I signed up for flying lessons the next day. They say you should do something everyday that scares you. It’s what makes you feel the most alive. Before I do anything I ask myself two questions: Is the risk worth the reward? And what’s the worst that could happen? I showed up to Milwaukee’s Timmerman Airport early in a hoodie, jeans and flip flops not knowing what to expect for my discovery flight with Mark Roeder, who would become my flight instructor for the next year. It is an hour flight where you get to actually take the controls to see if flying is something you want to pursue.

I thought it was only fair to fill him in on my track record before he agreed getting into an airplane with me. At age 18, I made 60 people jump out of a moving vehicle when the accelerator got stuck on the zoo tram. People were screaming, arms and legs flailing and a child was rolling down the side of the road after I asked everyone to “exit in a fashionable manner.” In 2019, I gave everyone whiplash on safari in South Africa while driving a manual Land Rover for the first time since last attempting to drive stick when I was 16 years old. My record driving motored vehicles doesn’t stop there and these are the stories I failed to mention. A friend started a new business and allowed me to borrow his boat for the day. I invited a dozen friends on a warm summer day and met Derek at the dock. I had never driven a boat before, unbeknownst to him, and was under the impression that left was right and right was left in a boat. Derek said, “No Amy. Left is left and right is right,” as he reluctantly handed over the keys. While cruising down the Milwaukee River I underestimated the height of a bridge and would have got us all stuck if my passengers didn’t scream for me to stop. Upon arriving back at the dock after a day on the water, I added power rather than slowing us down and nearly missed taking out the dock. Back at work, I always wanted to drive the zoo train. The conductor that day, Ken, said I could drive it out of the garage on the south end of the zoo. While I realize I didn’t ask him how to stop it, he also failed to teach me. Shortly after I left the garage he was in a full out sprint trying to stop the train yelling, “I’ve never seen it move so fast!”

Back at Timmerman, my discovery flight was hilariously scary. Mark, a deer in headlights, got into the plane and showed me how to plug in my headset. Watching me struggle he said, “you just did that in every combination of wrong.” He allowed me to taxi to the active runway after the headset debacle and showed me how to use the rudder pedals to steer the nose wheel. Not knowing to also apply the brakes simultaneously, I was using all my strength on the rudder as we barely turned and almost went off roading. Mark said, “oh shit” and took back the controls. I was thrilled to be flying the same plane my uncle used to own, out of the same airport my uncle and grandpa used to keep their planes. Mark let me take back the controls once we were in the air. It was windy and bumpy and I started feeling nauseous. He dropped the nose briskly and I screamed. I thought I’d never get back in the plane again. During my second lesson, I flew over my brother’s house in Colgate because I wanted to show my nieces and nephews that they can do anything they put their minds to. I had a cheerleading crew as we flew over and Mark asked if I was there to learn or have fun and I said, “both.”

I showed up wearing a pink sweatshirt for my third lesson. While taking fuel samples, Mark asked me what color the fuel should be. I said, “pink” and he quickly responded, “NOOO, it’s blue!” I asked why I thought that and he responded, “you like pink.” We went over communicating with the tower and he let me talk. Mind you, during my zoomobile days, there was a list kept by my coworkers with all the incorrect information I gave to guests during my tours. I mistakenly said that giraffes have an 18-foot tongue instead of 18 inches, that a rhino’s horn can grow up to 30 feet instead of three and the capybara was called a papa bear just to name a few. In my defense when you give the tour so many times, you’re on autopilot and your mind starts thinking about other things. My first call to Timmerman tower was on par with those days. I did such a poor job they didn’t even respond. Luckily, I wasn’t alone in this category. When approaching the airport for landing, a call must be made to the tower letting them know your location, elevation and intentions to land. Another student was inbound for landing and never made the call. Tower called him and said, “say intentions.” He responded with, “intentions” and landed the plane. We laughed until we cried. A different student said, “holding short of 22 elf,” instead of 22 left. Something important to remember while communicating with tower is to repeat back the instructions you’re given. One student was given clearance to land and he said, “ok thanks!” I wonder what their zoomobile tours might have sounded like.

The next flight, Mark told me not to be alarmed if the door flies open mid flight. “It happens all the time,” he said. He adjusted the air intake vent pulling it completely out of the plane leaving a gaping hole to the outside and said, “oh shoot.” That’s something you don’t want to hear 4,500 feet above the ground. I usually chose to fly early in the morning before the winds picked up or later in the afternoon for the same reason but also to see the sunset from the sky. While living in Hawaii for four years, it was easy to take the beauty for granted but I never did. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t watch the sun go down over the ocean. Hawaiian sunsets couldn’t be matched until watching them from the sky.

On one of my sunset flights, I was looking all over for my sunglasses. I asked Mark if he saw them and he said, “oh my god, you’re wearing them. Turn the plane around.” That same flight he tried taking a picture of me with the sunset in the background. He asked me to turn to the right. I turned my head like I was getting glamour shots taken and he said, “I meant the plane!” I laughed so hard I jerked the yoke, causing Mark to go airborne as he quickly grabbed the controls. I’ve never seen him move so quickly…until I landed. We headed back to the airport after the photo shoot and he had me call the control tower. I repeated what he told me to say but at that point we were at a lower elevation and closer distance so he said, “well don’t lie to them.” As we were on final approach about to land, I pushed the throttle in instead of pulling it out and Mark yelled, “woah!” as he quickly grabbed the controls once again. As if it wasn’t already an adventurous flight, after landing, I started following the take off checklist instead of the after landing checklist. I got some speed on the taxiway to the point where Mark thought I was about to take off again and let it play out. He was on high alert the first few months.

Due to Covid, ground schools were closed but due to quarantine I had plenty of time to teach myself. I was never a good student in school. I skipped often to surf, go camping or hiking and once to get a tattoo. I believe you learn through living, traveling and experiences and I didn’t like books until after I wasn’t forced to read them. I do realize the importance of getting a degree though which is why I got one. The knowledge you learn flying however, will keep you safe and alive. Each lesson, I learned something new and I studied constantly. When I passed my written exam with a 97% I couldn’t have been happier. The work I was putting in was paying off.

My lessons were progressing and I was starting to land the airplane on my own. The annual spot landing competition was quickly approaching at Timmerman and Mark suggested I enter because he thought I had a good chance of winning. The airport was closed to normal operations for the contest. Officials painted a line across the runway where competitors were challenged to land. The pilot who landed the closest to the line but not before it won $250. The year prior, the winner landed within 15 feet of the line. After watching a few contenders make their two attempts and not qualify, I was up. While still working on my technique and nervous to perform in front of other pilots as well as spectators online, I was coming in hot and dropped the plane 5 feet from the line. It was a harder landing so we bounced a couple times. The texts started flooding in. My sister-in-law said, “there’s nothing wrong with landing in style” followed up with, “you’re stirring up a controversy.” I later learned that I landed the closest to the line but since I bounced there was a debate whether I was still in the running. My friend Molly thought I’d have better luck as the commentator and my instructor thought I might make a better flight attendant. I earned the name, “Amy Angry Bounce Andree” and “Bouncy McBouncerson” that day. Even though I didn’t win due to technicalities it was still a lot of fun competing and I know for next year the landing also has to be, “pretty.”

The comments didn’t start or stop there. My friend Sean asked who let me fly a plane and said the people on the ground should have signed off on this. Another friend said, I shouldn’t be allowed to drive anything with a motor. A coworker of mine said if I crash I’ll have failed driving a car, boat, train and plane. Sometimes I didn’t even have to be driving. My boss, coworker and I spent well over an hour cleaning up after seven elephants at the Kansas City Zoo before zoo close. As we were driving the truck down the hill, the truck bed started slowly lifting up dumping 500 pounds of elephant dung down the hill. I didn’t realize I was sitting on the control until it was too late. I thought that might be my last day on Earth with the look on my boss’s face as he asked why my ass didn’t feel that. We had to stay late cleaning it up…again and I didn’t help matters laughing at his anger. A few lessons later I was getting more confident and was given my pre-solo quiz. If I could land the plane 5 times in a row with no assistance from my instructor he would sign off on my solo endorsement. Later that day, I got the signature. September 28th, 2020 was an overcast, rainy and windy day. After four take offs and landings in crosswinds my instructor got out of the plane.

Taking off is a rush, flying is freedom but landing requires skill. They say flying is 80% knowledge and 20% skill. Teaching myself ground lessons taught me determination, flight lessons taught me persistence and soloing taught me that you can do absolutely anything you put your mind to. I couldn’t wait to continue to learn. Little did I know what was to come…

I haven’t had much luck on airplanes. On a previous flight, the flight attendant announced that someone was going to have to move to the back of the plane since there was too much weight in the front. I didn’t think much of it until she asked me to move to balance it out. After de-planing a different flight to Hawaii there was a large sign saying, “Looking for Amy Andree,” where I almost got arrested but that is a story for another time. While planning my trip to Uganda, the company I booked through thought I was a man and since I didn’t have the heart to correct him, I ended up with a flight booked under, “Mr. Amy Andree.” After finally speaking up he said I shouldn’t have trouble boarding as a man.

The day finally arrived and my mom dropped me off at the airport. She told me she wasn’t going to pay my ransom and that she wouldn’t even pay my brother’s so I better put someone else down as the emergency contact. She called an hour later saying she thought it over and probably would pay it since I’m a pretty good daughter. I made it to Chicago after a two hour bus ride then to Detroit after a one hour flight. Nine hours later I met Molly in Amsterdam where we boarded on opposite ends of the plane. I immediately fell fast asleep so I didn’t wake up the first time she tapped my shoulder to come up to the vacant seat next to her in first class. I woke up the second time a couple hours later and followed her to the front of the plane. We picked out a movie, reclined our seats and fell asleep shortly after.

Four hours later I was woken up by a couple flight attendants asking what I was doing and demanded that I go back to my seat in coach reminding me how expensive this seat was. Since the seat belt sign came on I had to stay where I was for another hour but I was reminded that I would not be receiving full service. The woman came back saying they had a team meeting about what to do with me and they decided I could stay. The food came and they fed me anyways and even recommended the champagne. Next thing I knew it I was offered gifts and more drinks so I would receive the full first class experience. We landed in Rwanda where some passengers de-planed and others boarded. An announcement was made saying anyone who switched seats mid-flight had to go back to their assigned seats. I assumed this was directed at me until they singled me out to tell me I could stay in first class for the next flight to Uganda. My bad luck with flying really turned around on this trip. We arrived in Entebbe around 10pm and were greeted by Ronnie, our guide for the next 11 days. A year ago I was leaving Africa and today I’m going back. This time to the Pearl of Africa: The land of the unknown destination. Nothing could have prepared us for what was to come…

Jet lag hit us hard. Waking up at 11pm, 1:30am, then at 3am, I didn’t know what else to do with myself other than yoga in bed. While in downward dog, trying not to wake up Molly, I look over to see her doing the same. Luckily, we didn’t get complaints from the neighbors the next morning from laughing so hard. Ronnie briefed us on the day and took us on an hour and a half drive through Entebbe to Mabamba Bay. The road was unpaved and bumpy. We didn’t get Ronnie’s reference to getting an African massage until we didn’t get one.

There are 16 languages in Uganda and 56 dialects. Ronnie speaks four of them. His English is good but ours must not be as we maneuvered around conversations in confusion. Our guide for the day, Joseph, took us on an hour canoe ride through the swamp pointing out different bird species in hopes to see the elusive shoebill stork. We passed by a speckled mousebird perched on a branch, fan-tailed widowbirds, a winding cisticola, Northern brown-throated weavers and a hamerkop flying overhead. We got word from another guide that a shoebill was in the grass up ahead. Ronnie told us to get our cameras ready then almost fell out of the canoe trying to push us out of shallow water. I don’t know if he was preparing us for that or for the shoebill.

The beautiful dinosaur stood stealthy hidden behind the tall grass. We inched closer as he went for a fish but missed despite his good eyesight. Leaving him in peace we made our way back to the vehicle for lunch and a local market where I supported the locals a little too much. That night sleep didn’t come easy again whether it be from the jet lag or the fact that we were about to embark on an adventure of a lifetime…

We drove six hours to Kibale National Park for our chimp trek the following day. While passing through villages we dodged pot holes and cows while people walking dodged our side mirrors. Women and children balanced bananas and lumber on their heads and I nearly escaped a robbery by a baboon.

Ronnie calmly repeated to close my window as it inched up just in time. We also saw majestic marabou storks as well as colobus and vervet monkeys playing in the road and trees. Two men with machine guns watched our vehicle when we stopped for a traditional African lunch. Afterwards, we passed several volcanic craters on our final stretch to The Isunga Lodge with a panoramic view of Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Rwenzori Mountains and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Occasionally, the forest elephants make an appearance at night. To top it off we are the only people here.

We tracked the Kanyantale chimpanzee troop through the rainforest for several hours. Most of the time they stayed high up in the trees undisturbed by our presence. When the second highest male in ranking came walking towards us my hands went numb and my heart started racing. His name was Ssebu meaning “Sir.” He walked right up to our group too close for comfort making his way to a large fig tree.

When he called to the troop, they all came running in between us to the tree we were standing under avoiding assault from falling figs. Chimpanzees are the animals I fear most due to their sometimes savage behavior. Observing them mate, eat, socialize and groom one another brought on a whole new perspective. On the other side of fear is freedom. Chase after what scares you and set yourself free.

Uranus was the only celestial object visible in the sky as the dark and ominous clouds rolled in. As jet leg set in I watched the clouds dissipate, briefly exposing the full moon while lightning intermittently lit up the sky. The following morning, the sun rose over Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC as I had coffee with yellow-fronted canaries, tawny-flanked prinias, black-headed weavers and common waxbills, thinking how fortunate I am to be here.

Ronnie kept us safe and entertained (mostly at our expense) while taking us to places I thought I’d only see in my dreams. On our way to the salt mines we saw more volcanic craters, breathtaking landscapes and people who really know what it means to work. We crossed the equator into Queen Elizabeth National Park where we watched an elephant cross Lake George as we ate a picnic lunch.

After watching the process of salt extraction in the salt mines in Katwe we made it to camp where we will be staying the next three nights. While showering outside I watched the birds fly overhead and the sun go down while the pod of hippos we saw earlier vocalized in the river. As if this trip can’t get any better we track lions tomorrow. As I write this I’m watching a saddle-billed stork and a male waterbuck wade in the river while a buffalo grazes on grass. Live your life with no regrets. It will be worth it.

Lions called last night from either side of our tent in between hippo vocalizations coming from the river. We woke up to fresh hippo dung and tracks outside our tent. After breakfast, we joined The Uganda Carnivore Program who does conflict mitigation between villages and carnivores through tracking, monitoring and researching lions, leopards and hyenas. We observed a lioness laying stealthy in the tall grass patiently watching a male Ugandan kob get closer and closer. Head down, ears back, crawling forward she went for the kill. The chase ensued but she missed since lions only have about a 50% success rate. She drank from a puddle exhausted from the chase and the kob survived another day.

One animal’s death is another one’s survival. We saw a lion in one tree and a leopard in another. The lion slept and the leopard’s piercing, calculated eyes watched our every move. We drove by buffalo on the left and hippos on the right to a herd of over 50 elephants with their babies who warned us to back off so we did. I knew this trip would be incredible I just didn’t know how incredibly special it would truly be.

Spotted hyenas woke me up in the middle of the night and I was too excited to fall back to sleep. The eerie menacing sound of their cackles of excitement masks their intelligence and importance in the ecosystem. They are more intelligent than some primate species and are capable of making distress calls warding off other hyenas so they can eat in peace. Spotted hyenas pick off the dying and weak and prevent the spread of disease. They aren’t “ugly scavengers,” they are beautiful successful hunters. They have an 800-pound bite per square inch and are capable of eating and digesting bone, teeth, fur and hooves. Without one species we wouldn’t have another. While with The Uganda Carnivore Program again today we watched three tree climbing lions watch us.

We drove a bit deeper into Queen Elizabeth National Park to another leopard in a tree who made my heart skip a beat when she jumped out of the tree at us. She gracefully walked by our vehicle as I moved a little closer to the center. Our afternoon safari was on a boat where I think we saw every hippo in the Kazinga Channel. Some were porpoising, two were mating and a few were obtaining nutrients from eating clay.

We watched the silhouette of an elephant gracefully walking in the distance and then watched the sun go down from our tent. Don’t let the sun set on your dreams.

Bwindi, meaning, “Into the darkness,” is where we head to track gorillas after our last water safari. This time we saw as many elephants as hippos. There were three separate herds drinking water in different spots along the channel. One female stood her ground, ears out as a hippo challenged her, mouth open.

Babies were playing in the water and trumpeting while others were dust bathing on land. Seeing two of them mate was something I never thought I’d witness in the wild and something I’ll never forget. The game drive through the savannah was vast, open and beautiful concentrated with birds, baboons, vervet monkeys and occasionally elephants. A pride of five lions was lying in a fig tree and when we approached the male jumped out and ran by our vehicle.

Feeling alive with my hair getting blonder, skin darker and heart happier, my mood did a drastic 180 when 12 dark objects ran across the road in a single file line ahead. We sped up to them lying flat like cowards in the tall grass under an acacia tree knowing rangers carry guns. We watched them crawl then run deeper and deeper into the bush armed with spears and snares: poachers. Watching an animal take its last breath due to a snare was not a memory I wanted to relive as we watched them get smaller and smaller. We avoided a shoot out but after law enforcement is notified they might not be so lucky. As a billboard read, “Tourism helps everyone, poaching hurts us all.” Feeling helpless and hopeless we entered Bwindi.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is breathtakingly beautiful with rolling hills covered in tea and coffee plantations. The brilliant shades of green in the trees and the deep crimson in the birds was something I’ve never seen so vibrantly. Children played barefoot while goats and chickens were on high alert to any vehicle passing by. Clothing was scattered in yards and bushes drying and people kept busy in each village we passed.

Day turned into night, dinner into breakfast and the day was finally here. We penetrated the Impenetrable into the darkness of Bwindi into the Kigezi Highlands carefully placing one foot in front of the other up the steep, rocky, slippery terrain.

Our ranger, Boaz, took us up the mountain tracking the Mubare mountain gorilla family consisting of five females, three babies ranging in age from two to seven months and the silverback. Gorillas are 99% vegetarian but will also eat ants and termites for protein, dry wood for calcium and small rocks to obtain iron. Two hours into the trek the silverback emerged from the thicket, pure strength and beauty.

Amongst him, the rest of the family. We sat with them for an hour observing them eat, communicate and sweetly interact with their babies. I said goodnight to the sun and allowed the day to re-wire my brain. Few places have left me so awe struck, so grateful to be there and so happy to be alive.

The 12 poachers we reported ended up being a group of 15. All were caught, all surrendered and all are in jail. On our drive through Bwindi, colobus monkeys blanketed the canopy, a chimpanzee ran in front of our vehicle and baboons took post on the side of the road.

After having to change our flights to ensure we made it home, Ronnie went out of his way to ensure we went on our second gorilla trek and Molly and I were the only ones on it. With two rangers in front, one armed with an AK-47 and the other with a machete, we trail blazed through the forest, sliding down the muddy terrain, jumping over streams and strategically placing our feet in fresh forest elephant tracks.

We joined the Kyagurilo mountain gorilla family consisting of nine members. The baby walked right up to me then over my shoes with her mother following closely behind. I had to quickly back up when two sub-adult males wrestled into where I was standing. We watched them nest, play, laugh and roll around while moving out of their way as the silverback sat watching.

We entered the forest full of anticipation and left the forest completely fulfilled. Take only what you need, give all you can and be kind to all kinds. As we were leaving, Ronnie told us we arrived as visitors and are leaving as friends. If you want to see a place where survival is synonymous with living, where the animals demand your utmost respect and where the land is truly wild, go to Uganda. I’m not afraid to die but more importantly I’m not afraid to live. “When I look back on this I’ll smile because this is life and I decided to live it.”