As some of you may know, my beloved Piper Archer III, N474Y, is gone.? The consideration of selling her began months ago.? It was hard to say goodbye, but it was time.? She served her purpose.? I recently read an emotional story in one of the aviation magazines about a family that sold their plane.? It certainly hit home.? They owned the airplane for forty years!? That had to be difficult! It was very sad for me to leave my little plane with its new owner.? She and I went on many journeys together and she taught me a tremendous amount. ?

The sale of my airplane happened very quickly.? It was listed with a broker, multiple texts were exchanged between he and I as offers came in within a couple of days.? The winning offer was contingently accepted within two days.? The buyer asked me to fly it from my home in Cincinnati to Ft. Myers, Florida.? I could?ve hired someone to fly it but couldn?t fathom missing out on one more long, cross-country flight.? The realization and complete acceptance that she was no longer mine wouldn’t hit until days after delivery. ?

My flight down and an extended stay in Florida was perfect. There were lots of great final views from that cockpit.? Once in sunny Florida, I spent some time visiting friends and enjoying the warm weather on the beach.? After returning to Cincinnati, the comprehension hit that my hangar needed to be cleaned out and emptied.? That?s when it sunk in.? I said goodbye to a friend.? She will have a new engine installed and then be ferried to her new home in The Czech Republic. ?

That plane will never be forgotten.? The bond is similar to one?s first car.? You create a lot of memories and it holds a special place in your heart.? Letting go was a thoughtful, conscious decision.? One of my goals is to learn to fly aerobatics and earn more tailwheel time.? The best way for that to happen is to invest in my own tailwheel plane.? So, figuring out what that airplane should be, is next on my agenda.? There?s really no rush for me at this time.? I have no idea what I want and will spend some time investigating and testing out a few different ones.? Saying goodbye to N474Y was difficult but there?s plenty of excitement to be had as another journey begins! It?s like the saying, ?When one door closes, another one opens.? New adventures to come!

Seaplane Rating: What Happened?

Thankfully, the grieving of my plane is mostly over. ?There are always new things on the horizon for me.? This past Friday was the last day of accepting seaplane rating scholarship applications.? That was a super fun event with great participation.? I plan to read through the essays this upcoming week (don?t ask me when, exactly, that will be accomplished!!?).? There were nearly fifty qualified applicants.? My plan is to create a rubric on this evening?s flight to Florida.? I?m learning from my previous scholarship approval experience, that rubrics are the best way to sift through applicants and narrow them down objectively, fairly quickly.? My hope is to have a winner chosen by the end of the week.? Realistically, this will go down like this?

I?m heading to Florida right now! Well, in twenty minutes?This week I?m visiting Jones Brothers & Co. to work on my own seaplane rating! Once it was decided that Sporty?s and flyGIRL would offer a seaplane rating scholarship, it seemed fitting for me to see about getting my own rating.? I?ll be visiting the school and recording my experience there to share with everyone before the scholarship winner ventures off to earn their own ?sea wings.?

Scholarships With Mickey Mouse

This week is also the Women in Aviation International convention in Orlando.? This is where the presentation of the annual flyGIRL/Sporty?s flight training scholarship will be officially awarded to Laura Galvez during a luncheon.? There are many people that I?m looking forward to catching up with and meeting during this year?s conference. This is always a fun event, full of many activities that there is never enough time for.? Let me know if you?ll be there!

Let?s see just how much we can cram into one week! ?I always like to keep things interesting! I?m one of the weird adults that would absolutely go to Disney all by myself. That will probably will never happen because my friend, Joey Mazzant, is always available to give me the world?s best VIP experience of Disney Theme Parks! My family loves you, Joey.? If you?re going to Disney, let me hook you up with the best guide EVER. This particular week also happens to be my eldest son’s spring break.? We are hoping he can get to the Orlando area and spare enough time for a day at one of the Disney parks.? Can you say ?caffeine refill, please??

When Can I Go On Vacation??

Be on the lookout for lots of selfies this week.? We have a whole lot to look forward to and I?m sure I?ll be coming back home ready for a vacation.?Hahaha! This is the kind of tired that I?ll never get sick of.? There are statements made oftentimes by people that they envy my travel life.? By the end of this week, it?s certain that I will have met someone new, learned something new, and strengthened several relationships.? I?m pretty excited about all of that. ?

The cool thing is that anyone can have those same experiences, whether you travel often or not.? All of those opportunities are available at any time, in any place.? You just have to get out of your bubble sometimes and go look for them. There was a recent travel blog that stated how we should be careful not to let our everyday lives become drudgery.? Make an effort to change your outlook on the life you have in your home, in your own city. There are many things within an hour or two of your home that you?ve probably never done or seen.??There are lots of things you can learn and do all around you. Go do them!?

You don?t have to wait on a once-a-year vacation.? When my children were younger, I?d go stay in a hotel once every quarter in a town or city (that was no more than a few hours away).? During that time, my inner tourist would come out. It wasn?t far and it wasn?t for a long time but there was always something new to see or be a part of, even if it was just learning more about myself.? Travel and stepping out of your comfort zone is one of the best ways to learn. Period. Hop on your laptop and schedule some time on your iCal.? Right now! I?m always ready to hear about what you did or where you went.? You have no idea how often I?m inspired by others! Instagram is the reason my bucket list keeps growing! In the meantime, my Delta airliner is headed south and my eyes are heavy.? Time to recharge for some new experiences this week!?