An Update on My Life and This Website

It's been a very long time since I've sat down and wrote anything on here which is funny because I know one particular English professor who has highlighted this website in her class. So for that, I'm sorry. I only really looked at updating this after hearing from two people I have a lot of respect for tell me just how much reading my website brought them back to the "beg, borrow, and steal" mantra of what its like chasing down the dream of flight. So with that, I think it's about time I begin updating this old lady. Additionally, I probably have somewhere in the range of fifty stories that I had begun to post but still had to format and publish, so I might start there in the coming days. Unfortunately it takes about a half an hour to format anything on here and that's not really the fun of posting. Still, excuses aside, it's about time I resurrect this project. When I started writing here, my main goal was to chronicle what I wanted to do in aviation and the steps that I took towards accomplishing those goals. It appears that somewhere between me getting my private pilot's license and beginning graduate school, I fell off. So here's to the blank page and the work it is going to take to make this website relevant again. Wish me luck.

As for my life, it's hard to pick a point to begin this update. As of last year, and in addition to earning my private pilot's license, I went into the Summer of 2013 a proud holder of a Bachelor's of Science in Aviation Security with a minor in Aviation Administration. I think one of my major updates after that was my choice to continue my education and pursue a masters degree as well. As of May 2015, I now have an Aviation Transportation Management Masters of Science degree. I think I'll write and then back date an article for each of these perspective accomplishments since it's nice to think back on and will keep the chronological integrity of the website intact for any new aviators that may find themselves stumbling upon this corner of the internet.

Other major life events have transpired, too, and I believe that an entry for each would be appropriate. Most notably, I lost my father to pancreatic cancer this summer. Being that he was one of my biggest supporters and my personal hero, I believe that writing something about him and just how much of a champion he was for not only myself but also our family would be very fitting.

As far as extracurricular activities in aviation, I was blessed to have competed in both a regional and national SAFECON competition with the Lewis University Flight Team. Along with that, this year I'm proud of say that my work with a group of wonderful aviation professionals during my graduate studies has culminated in being published in two separate aviation safety articles regarding Laser Illumination Events. In simple terms, the articles deal with researching the harmful ocular effects of people pointing laser pointers at pilots on final approach. Look for the links to the two articles, one in the Journal of Aviation Technology & Engineering (JATE) and the other in the Collegiate Aviation Review (CAR), in the near future.

Lastly, I want to say thank you to everyone who has not only believed in me but supported my quest in redirecting my life to the skies. I know it hasn't been easy for my family, friends, and everyone else that I'm either away from or have relied on. Each one of you has helped to make my dreams a reality. I've always said that life has a funny way of quietly reassuring us that we've done the right thing, especially when things get hard and even when things are in doubt. So thank you, so very much, to each one of you. I hope to continue to make you proud in both the near and distant future.

Look for the many updates listed above to come over the next month. Until then, I leave you with a random aviation video.

"Having once decided to achieve a certain task, achieve it at all costs of tedium and distaste. The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense." - Arnold Bennett