Peak Experiences

This week has been so high on the "Fun Meter", we could barely contain ourselves. Guess who took an intro helicopter flight? Yes I did! And it confirmed for me it really was the helicopter I was interested in, not just the beautiful scenery of Kauai.

I wish I could show you my flight DVD from Hawaii. Am not usually one for souvenirs but I wanted a record of the flight and commentary. Plus I wanted D to see the smile on my face on take off. There is an interior camera in the helicopter that records the passengers during certain times and because I got to sit in the front beside the pilot (you don't get to choose, you get placed depending upon weight), I am right there in the middle of the screen.

My intro flight came together last minute as I was visiting a friend for the day who I hadn't seen for almost 2 years. We live far enough apart it takes some serious planning and a day off just to meet in Toronto. When we got talking about the "what's next" in our lives, I told her how much I enjoyed my helicopter tour and how taking the flight seemed to renew my interest in flight school again.

She knew I had taken an intro flight lesson in a Cessna a few years back and wasn't inspired. Then she told me we weren't far from a school. So of course I perked right up and we went online to see about availability for an intro flight. Man did I get lucky.

The instructor told me if I could get there within 1/2 hr, there was time. We shot off like a bullet. I took my intro flight in a R44 (you could choose a R22 as well) and I'm sure I did not stop smiling until I had a chance to try my hand at hovering. Wow,was that hard. I was all over the place even though I didn't think I was moving the control much. It requires some serious touch.

The "bad" part? The $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ it costs to attain a private helicopter license. When D told a friend of his what I had been up to, his words were "I don't think she could have found a more expensive hobby.". A subject for another post.

I've decided to lump all the posts from the beginning to my last one as one batch. My early years where I wrote a lot about saving money, debt repayment and work woes. I cannot say it was an overly happy period of time outside of some great trips.

That phase did see me transition to my current semi retired/part time work status. It may also be my "retired" status if I choose to do some work indefinitely. I will continue to update my NWIQ numbers as I still find it useful.

From this post on, Version 2.0 will be about living the best life we can, now that I've regained more of my time and creativity back, whatever it ends up being and wherever it may lead us.

Thank you again for your patience while I sorted out the role this blog was going to play in my life.