My Adventure Book...

Ellie from Pixar's UP!

I love the movie UP!.  As are many Pixar movies, UP! is a sweet story of love, redemption, and amazing adventure.  As I begin this new chapter in my life, I have chosen this movie, and specifically, the character of Ellie to be my inspiration.  Ellie's goal from childhood was to visit Paradise Falls in South America.  My life-long goal is not nearly as adventurous as Ellie's, but I am weeks away from making some of my own incredible dreams come true.

 I cannot remember a time in my life that I did not want to work at NASA.  When the Space Shuttle was first being developed, I had a two-page diagram of the orbiter taped to my closet door. Some of my favorite childhood memories were of my father taking me into the front yard with our giant telescope and looking at the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn.  I watched The Right Stuff, Star Wars, and yes, even Space Camp, until I could recite the lines by heart.  I even thought about going to the Air Force Academy and tried Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University for a semester, with the goal of some day working at NASA.  But it was not for me.  God had other plans.  I was supposed to be a teacher and I would get my time at Space Camp by going down a very exciting and unexpected path.  That led me to the most amazing teacher and man I have ever met, with a passion for space even greater than mine!

So here I sit, a Teacher Crew Trainer at Space Camp, exactly two months from my next big adventure.  Two months from today, my husband and my son will be moving me to Washington, DC to begin my time as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow, serving at NASA Headquarters.  I will be working for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, writing curriculum and doing educational outreach and presentations around the United States (and possibly overseas).  I am excited, overwhelmed, and scared to death!  But, I am ready!

Ellie's Adventure Book

So why Ellie and UP! and why this blog?  Well, aside from the fact that I think she looks a little like me...  Ellie had the right attitude for life!  She had a goal she worked towards and she viewed every step in her life as a new adventure.  Ellie is a bit like Gonzo (whose attitude I adopted in 1992, the summer I spent as a Girl Scout counselor), who approached the idea of being shot out of a cannon with the phrase, "That'd be NEAT!"  So this blog will be my virtual Adventure Book.  I will post pictures and information on what adventures I am having in Washington and I hope you will enjoy keeping up with me.

And remember...

Adventure is out there!