About

When learning to ride a friend’s motorcycle last summer I noticed a set of riding goggles with his helmet. I asked what they were, and he told me they were his ‘bad idea goggles’. I liked the sound of it.

There’s a saying that going to a service academy is like unprotected sex; glad you got in, sorry you came. No doubt, you have to work hard to enjoy your life. I was getting by and began my career as a self-publishing cartoonist. But at some point during college, I had been struck with a need to test my mettle. Right then, there was no better place to be. I started out small, picking up rugby. Then snowboarding, rock climbing, ice hockey, traveling, the list goes on. Then finally I got the chance to jump out of an airplane. There was no going back after that, I had a deep craving for adventure.

After graduation I had all the freedom I always wanted. But I was also an officer. I had a ten year commitment to the service. Rent. Bills. Furniture. And I had no idea how to cook. Actually, there were a lot of things I never had time to think about. Mostly what I wanted my life to be like beyond having my own space and my dog. So while travelling abroad for a month, I started writing things down.

And now I find myself about to begin 2+ years of Air Force pilot training. I’ve been told by several ex-pilots that these are going to be the wildest years of my life. They have a point. First, I am in the prime of life. And second, I will be trusted to fly a 6 million dollar aircraft. This to me sounds like a very exciting combination.