On March 8 I will be traveling to Europe to document the centennial celebration of Harriet Quimby’s flight across the English Channel. That means I have less than three weeks to immerse myself in the lore of history’s greatest female aviators AND prepare to meet some of today’s most accomplished women pilots.
If you watched my contest video, you will know that I’m pretty much a newbie to aviation. Although I’ve always been a fan of Amelia Earhart, I had never flown in a small aircraft until last spring. Now I think about how much I’ve been missing all this time!
Then again, when Harriet was my age, she still had more than 10 years to go before she would begin flying. So I’ve got a head start on her!
I have to confess, my lack of experience makes me a little worried that I’ll disappoint you somehow. But as a journalist, I must often tackle new subjects, sort them out and present them in a way that the average person can identify with and understand. Journalists draw together details as if they were threads, weaving a narrative with words and images–and they pull you into that narrative. You participate in the story as if you were there too.
My confidence is renewed knowing that you have chosen me to accomplish this task, to be your representative at this international event, to ask questions, and to report what I see and hear.
Since I will essentially be your eyes and ears on this trip (unless you are traveling to the event itself, in which case I hope we meet!) I thought it best to share a little bit about myself, so I don’t seem a complete stranger.
Jumping for joy in Barcelona!
I am 22 years old, and I live in my hometown of Silver Spring, Md. I work as a community news journalist nearby in Wheaton. Both Silver Spring and Wheaton are part of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and usually when I’m abroad I say I’m from D.C. rather than from Maryland.
I traveled some in college, first to Egypt in 2007 to visit some relatives living in Cairo, and then to the south of Spain in 2010 for a semester of study abroad. But even though I lived in Spain for six months, I never traveled outside its borders, except for a short stint in Portugal. I thought to myself at the time, Europe is not going anywhere, I’ll be back soon. I was right, I will — and this time to England and France!
All my life, people have asked me if I speak French, because of my last name. I do not, sadly, although that certainly would have come in handy on this trip. But even if I can’t communicate in words with everyone I meet on this trip, I will try and put my thoughts into the pictures I take and the video I record.
As I prepare to travel, I have put together a little to-do list, but it doesn’t have things like, “Don’t pack liquids in your carry-on case.” It’s more of a list of things I would like to accomplish before going to Europe. High on the list is getting in touch with Harriet Quimby’s biographer, and I’m hopeful the fruits of that exchange will make it into a future blog post. But I’ll also be taking suggestions from you! My uncle has already weighed in and recommended that I see “Legend of Pancho Barnes,” a documentary about a pioneer aviatrix. What else should I add to my list? Please tell me in the comments, and feel free to add me as a friend if you’re a registered user.
Hi Esther! If you’re catching up on great aviation movies, I’d highly suggest the documentary, One Six Right. It highlights the importance and the history of “general aviation” and the importance of small airports, just like the one you got your first flight at. I have a copy and am in Frederick, MD if you’d like to borrow it!