Spring + Satellites

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So, remember that good news I mentioned in my last blog post? Well, it’s finally time to spill! We just successfully launched our satellite at the company I work for in Merritt Island, Florida! It was a super exciting moment in my career that I will never forget. I work in the Mission Control Center for Sidus Space as a flight controller. My job is to perform satellite operations for LizzieSat-1. I knew all of the hard work would pay off!

At the end of March, I got the incredible opportunity to attend Women in Aviation 2024 and stay in Orlando, Florida! I met some stellar women and made so many new friends! A huge thanks to Gaetz Aerospace Institute for being in my life since I was in high school and for funding this trip for me! The view from my hotel was amazing, the food was delicious, and the experiences unforgettable. It was like a mini vacation, only better!

I met so many people, including Dr. Sian Proctor, a commercial astronaut, professor of geology, artist, author, and science communicator! I saw many faculty, professors, and friends there too!

Having a huge background in aviation and aerospace definitely benefited me during my career and education. As a sophomore in high school, I was able to take Embry-Riddle classes including Private
Pilot Ground School, UAS Flight Mapping and Cross Country, and several meteorology courses through Gaetz Aerospace Institute. It made me even more encouraged to pursue my PPL (something that has been on my to-do list for a while now)!

After the conference during the first week of April, I managed to book a Disney vacation with my friends! It was so awesome to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Star Wars Galaxy Edge. We all dressed up and went to the park for the whole day! Who doesn’t get a bachelor’s in something space related and NOT love Star Wars?!

Did everyone get a chance to see that solar eclipse in April?! It was so awesome to be able to take photographs of the moon covering the sun. I will always remember that moment and where I was (with friends and family)!

I am happy to announce I successfully completed the Spring 2024 NASA L’Space NPWEE Proposal Writing Academy. It was an amazing experience to serve as the Principal Investigator of team #28 and it taught me so much I didn’t know about proposal writing. I even got the opportunity to sit on a review panel, work with modeling software (NX), and earn a skill badge! This summer, I plan to continue to work with that modeling software and become certified in NX. Thank you to all of my mentors and the incredible team at NASA L’Space and Arizona State University that make this happen for students like me.

Lastly, I just watched my fiancé graduate from Daytona State College this past week! I am so incredibly proud of him and his journey so far. I am fortunate that we both get to attend higher education institutions and pursue our biggest dreams together. Next stop for him: UCF’s Computer Science program!

This semester was definitely one for the books! I attended 2 conferences, finished another semester of my master’s programs, got to see a solar eclipse, and get to continue to work my dream job! I hope my fall semester is just as opportunistic and action-packed.

Ciao for now!

The Fourth and Final Riddle Rewind

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I had the time of my life with you!

The last day of classes has come and gone. As you’re reading this, the last assignment of my undergraduate degree has been completed and I’m just waiting for my grades to come in. That’s absolutely crazy for me to think about- I don’t feel like I’ve been here for even a year, much less four years. But here we go on the last and final Riddle Rewind. (Freshman, sophomore, and junior year can be found at the links!)

The WAMP O-Week Luncheon!

The timing of my internship unfortunately didn’t work with O-Week, so I couldn’t be on the Orientation Team this year. However, I did make it back in time for a Women’s Ambassador Mentoring Program luncheon for all of the female freshmen, and I was given the opportunity to speak. It was a great experience!

WAMP Ice Cream Social!

WAMP events in the fall were a lot of fun- and this one had FREE ice cream! I couldn’t complain about that. 🙂

My Women’s Ambassador trip to Pittsburgh!

I had never been to Pittsburgh before, but it was definitely a cool experience. While I was there I also got to meet some cute cats in a cat cafe!

Adopting my kitten, Radar!

I adopted a five-month-old kitten named Radar back in late September after moving off campus and it’s one of the best things that I’ve done. He is the sweetest cat ever- and my roommates love him, too! He recently celebrated his first birthday, and it’s been a lot of fun to watch him grow.

My Women’s Ambassador trip to Washington, D.C., and NYC!

Visiting D.C. and New York City was a whole lot of fun! It rained on my first night in NYC, but that didn’t stop me from having some late-night adventures.

Open House 2023!

Open House is always a lot of fun. There are always new people to meet and new things to learn! I volunteered for both the Women’s Ambassadors and Aerospace Engineering Student Advisory Board.

Flying Into Finals Week!

Pun… ha ha. Finals week isn’t fun, but going for a short flight in a Cessna was a lot of fun and a great way to relax before the stress of finals week hit.

The Rolex 24 (and the Roar Before the 24)!

I’ve never been to a car race before, but I thought that attending the Rolex 24 was a lot of fun. It’s definitely something to experience at least once if you’re here.

Touch-N-Go Comedy Night!

For Blue and Gold Week, comedian Ryan Kelly came to campus and gave an amazing one-hour comedy show. I laughed- a lot.

My Women’s Ambassador trip to Boston and Hartford!

Don’t get me wrong- I was SOOOO cold!! However, it was a lot of fun to walk around one of the United States’ oldest and most historic cities when I had the chance.

Speaking about internships at the WAI Conference!!

I never thought I’d be speaking at a conference as an undergraduate student, but I proved myself wrong. The Women in Aviation conference was a lot of fun, and being a speaker was an experience that I’ll never forget.

The Last WA Trip – Ever!

My last trip was to Washington, D.C., and Richmond, VA. I’d never been to Richmond, but I LOVE D.C., so I was happy to go. On the way back, I did get stuck by myself on an unexpected overnight in Charlotte- but hey, it was a new adventure.

Preview Day 2024!

Just like for Open House, I volunteered for the Women’s Ambassadors and Aerospace Engineering Student Advisory Board. Preview Day was also a lot of fun- over the Friday and Saturday that I worked, I got to meet a lot of new people who may be at ERAU this fall!

Sun n’ Fun Airshow!

I love airshows- so much so that I went to the Orlando Airshow (aka the Air Dot Show tour) the weekend after Sun n’ Fun. Airshows are a great opportunity for me to see aerospace in action- plus, just being around giant airplanes is cool. When I graduate, I’ll be working as a Space Systems Engineer, but still- airplanes are cool. I plan to go to as many airshows as I can even after I graduate!

It’s been a lot of fun blogging these past four years- it’s made me get out and adventure more than I would’ve without. This is my last post as an ERAU student, but who knows- maybe one day I’ll come back and write about what my new life looks like after Embry-Riddle. I’m really thankful for every single opportunity I’ve had, and I hope you’ve found my posts interesting. See you in the skies! -Carly

The Orlando Airshow

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This is so much better than watching Top Gun!

As mentioned during the Sun n’ Fun post, I went to the Orlando Air Show! It was part of the Air Dot Show tour that went across the United States, and it stopped at the Orlando Sanford (KSFB) airport. I was definitely excited to go. While it had a few of the same performers from Sun n’ Fun, it also had a bunch of different ones. Instead of the Thunderbirds, the Blue Angels performed, and I’ve only seen them once before.

There weren’t as many static displays to look at, but I got to get a lot closer than I did at Sun n’ Fun. They had an F-18 and a few older aircraft on display, and there were long lines to climb into the older aircraft. Of course, I took that opportunity.

The airshow itself was awesome. The acrobatic performers were, as always, amazing to watch, but they also had plenty of things I’d never seen before. One of them was the Coast Guard demonstration of a water rescue from a helicopter. It was amazing to watch- they lowered the rescue swimmer down to the ground with a basket, collected a test dummy, and then safely brought everything back into the helicopter. I honestly haven’t been around helicopters much since we don’t have a helicopter program.

The Coast Guard rescue demonstration.

The F-22 Raptor demonstration team was also there, and I’ve never seen them before. I enjoyed the airshow- the F-22 has very powerful engines, and you can definitely feel their power. They also did heritage flight, and it was awesome to see historic and modern-day aircraft flying together.

The Blue Angels were the final act, and they were awesome as ever to see. Their airshow was similar to the Thunderbirds in the fact that they had a diamond and two soloists, but the maneuvers were different. They were as majestic as ever, and I really enjoyed watching them in the heat. In my opinion, an airshow is worth the heat- as long as I use plenty of sunscreen!

Having airshows in the area is one of my favorite parts about ERAU. I love aviation (even though I’m in the astronautics track!) and coming here has enabled me to go to a few different ones. I’ve had a lesser credit load this semester so I’m able to spend more time doing things outside of class, which has been a whole lot of fun. I’m graduating soon, but this isn’t the last post. So… I’ll see you in the next one!

College Advice From A Senior

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Honestly, graduation seems years (not weeks!) away still…

Sometimes I look around and wonder where the time went, since college seemed to flash by in the blink of an eye. Other times it felt so slow- waiting for the weekend, excited for the next trip I was taking, waiting for an internship. But here I am now just weeks away from graduating, and I’ve been thinking a bit about what I’ve done right vs wrong during my time here. When I work at admissions events, I get a lot of questions, including “What would you change if you could do it all again?” So here’s my advice.

GET INVOLVED. Join an organization you’re passionate about. Here’s how.
It can be intimidating walking into a club meeting where everyone seems to know everyone and you don’t. However, that’s exactly what you should do! ERAU hosts the activities fair every semester a month or so in, and that’s usually when club meeting attendance spikes. You can also get involved in things like Greek life, but I’ve found that most people who go Greek stay Greek.

My challenge to you is as follows: walk around the activity fair (especially to collect free stuff) and make note of every registered student organization (RSO) you’re interested in. If it’s a non-Greek and non-honor society organization, the meetings should be free and open to all. Go to one meeting to see what the club is about – just one. If you like the club, maybe join and go to more meetings! If you’re unsure, go to another meeting to figure it out. Finally, if you don’t like the club, no harm and no foul, it was just one meeting. I will note that some clubs do have a small membership fee, but that’s usually to get heavily involved- our rocketry clubs typically do that.

I personally think that there’s something for everyone here. We have honor societies based on major (usually they’re invite or application-based), professional organizations (like the Society of Women Engineers or Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers), and fun organizations (sailing club, hockey club, tennis club, etc) as well as Division II and intramural sports.

The Women’s Ambassador Mentoring Program (WAMP) Ice Cream Social in Fall 2023.

Studies are important but so is experience.
Your GPA is not everything. Obviously don’t neglect your studies, but it’s not an end-all be-all for internships and jobs. If you get a C in one class, it won’t be the end of the world- heck, it’s even happened to me! What I’ve found to be equally as important is the experience and skills you have. They don’t even have to be super technical. Half of engineering is the technical problem, and the other half is being able to work with people. I haven’t gotten a very heavy technical question, but I have gotten a lot of behavioral “tell me about a time when” questions. From my experience, getting your first internship is the hardest.

Don’t just go to class- make sure you understand.
Like I mentioned, your GPA isn’t everything- but it’s still important. Go to tutoring, email your professors, go to their office hours, get the help you need when you need it, not the day before the test. This will enable you to get stuff done early so you can do more cool things. It’ll also lower your stress!

Leave your dorm for fun events, too!
And by fun, I mean do something that you find fun. That could be the beach, airshows, club events, the Skyline Social events on Fridays… anything. In the real world they talk about a work-like balance, but I think it’s important to have a school-life balance too. It’s also something that I struggled with a bit (since I’m a bit of a workaholic) but I’ve enjoyed the times that I got out and did something fun. This was made possible in part by me starting my homework early!

A SWE event from junior year… with dogs!

If you’re not an aeronautical science student… try and go on a flight with someone.
Where else are you going to find a university where a good chunk of the students are pilots? A fun fact about is ERAU is that you can shadow a flight in one of the Riddle planes. It’s pretty easy- all you need is a friend who’s a flight student and your student ID card, the EagleCard. You go to the flight operations building with your friend and ask to shadow the flight and as long as it’s fine with the flight instructor and flight supervisor, you can do it. I’ve done this in the ERAU Diamond DA-42s and those things are very nice to fly in.

If your friends aren’t aeronautical science, or you feel like a very expensive meal, there are several flight schools in the area you can rent a plane from. I’ve also done this– I’m not a pilot, but several of my friends are, which means that I’ve paid for my share of the flight costs and gone flying with them.

My view from the back seat of Riddle’s DA-42.


Volunteer!
Volunteer in a way that’s fun and fulfilling for YOU. Most of my volunteering time was done with the Society of Women Engineers. I spent three years on the Introduce a Girl to Engineering Workshop (IGEW) committee before transitioning to a different leadership role in SWE, but I volunteered for IGEW all three years I was on the committee. ERAU even wrote an article about it! I’ve also volunteered in other capacities, such as for Preview Day and Open House.

SWE volunteers from the Museum of Arts and Science’s International Day of Women and Girls In Science event.

Finally… This is your college experience. Make the most of it.
My college experience is vastly different from some other people, and that’s okay. College will help you figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life and give you amazing memories to last a lifetime. I’m a very social person, so I enjoyed social clubs, but if you’re more solitary you may not like all of the activities that I did, and that’s okay.

Change majors if you aren’t happy with the major you’re in. Switch classes if you realize that there’s a professor whose teaching style better matches your learning style. Do things that make you happy and surround yourself with people that have similar interests. I’ve had the time of my life at ERAU, and it’s hard to think that it’s coming to an end. This isn’t my last post quite yet, so I’ll see you in the next post!


So Many Adventures…..

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A lot outside of school has happened in the past week or so! Here is a little bit of documentation:

The solar eclipse happened! Please enjoy my not-so-great picture of it through a telescope on the 5th floor of COAS. Even though we weren’t in the path of totality, it was an amazing experience. Maybe it was simply because we are at a school where nearly everyone is invested in events like this, but the whole world around me seemed to stop. I was at work in the Office of Undergraduate Research when everyone started to make their way outside and use the eclipse glasses that were being handed out.
As Graduate Assistant for the Office of Undergraduate Research, I helped with Discovery Day! This was a huge (over 800 attendees) research symposium day where students from the entire school could present their findings through poster sessions while winning awards and grants! I also personally received my Research Scholar award that day at the awards ceremony.
Had some great food in Orlando with my boyfriend lately! The first two pictures are from a Korean bakery called Chiffon Culture near Winter Park. Their hot dog bun, garlic cream cheese bread, and chocolate whipped cream cube croissant were amazing! The last picture is from Sushi Katana near Mall at Millenia. The sushi was great quality, and their lunch specials are a good price.
I recently had the chance to attend UCF’s version of SharkTank, Joust, where my boyfriend’s (far right in picture) startup, CyberColosseum LLC, won first place! The money and services provided will really help them as they work on this growing business.
We attended ERAU’s Casino Night! This was really fun. Big thanks to Touch-N-Go for organizing the free pizza, blackjack tables, raffles, and more!
There is a hidden gem in Winter Park! The Morse Museum there is absolutely GORGEOUS with rooms upon rooms of Tiffany glass exhibits. I HIGHLY recommend this especially since admission for students is only $1!
Went pottery painting at All Fired Up near Winter Park! It was a great experience and seemed super popular! We painted a little cardinal and a lemon squeezer bowl. Can’t wait to pick up the final pieces soon!

Sun n’ Fun, Round Two

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Happy 50th Anniversary!

That time of the year has come around again- it’s airshow season! Every year, the Sun n’ Fun airshow is held at KLAL in Lakeland, Florida. I got to go for the first time in sophomore year, and I unfortunately had to miss it last year. But this year I went back- for both days- with different people.

The thing I like about attending airshows is how the lineup will change every year, and even then, it’s still unlikely to be the exact same aircraft. This year I saw a C-17, just like two years ago, from Charlotte, but the tail number was different. They let us tour a lot of the larger military planes, and I definitely took them up on that offer.

Saturday had both a day and night airshow, and I stayed for both days. I also love how the airshow changes every so often. The Thunderbirds performed again this year, but the show itself was different. I also got to see the F-35 demo team and various acrobatic performers. It was definitely worth it!

Some of the airshow performers!

One of the night show performers was the Polaris Ghost Squadron, which Jared Isaacman is part of. He’s an ERAU alumni who came back last year to speak to students, and it was awesome to see just how connected ERAU is to the industry. I enjoyed the airshow. The day airshow lasted for four full hours, while the night airshow lasted two and a half hours. And yes – I made sure to reapply sunscreen as needed.

The static displays were also a lot of fun to walk through. I noticed that a lot of the people were selling mission patches and T-shirts with their aircraft on it. There’s also a vendor area outside the warbird section, and I ended up buying a pink aviation lanyard with a seatbelt buckle attachment on it. I was really tempted to buy the KC-135 “remove before flight” tag, though…

I got to see aircraft that I’d never seen up close before, the KC-135 was one of them. They let us tour the flight deck, cargo component, and the boom operator station, which was cool to see. The KC-135 has a window in the back for the boom operator, unlike the newer KC-46 which has a refueling screen near the front of the plane that relies on cameras. I was able to look out the back of that window, watching people walk by under the aircraft. It was awesome!

KC-135 flight deck!

I also toured a C-130 with skiis that is able to land on snow, and it’s crazy for me to even think about that. I hate the cold, so I don’t like snow, but the fact that a large airplane can land on snow is awesome. I got a picture of me waving through a window of the C-130, and the breeze up there felt nice. Sun n’ Fun is just one of many things I’m going to miss when I move away, but there are airshows all over the country.

I’m very glad I went to Sun n’ Fun this year, and I’m excited to go to the Orlando Airshow next weekend! That’s one of the cool things I love about the ERAU Daytona location – there are so many airshows around here within driving (or flying!) distance. Maybe I’ll be write about the Orlando Airshow next… but whatever it is, I’ll see you in the next post!

My Final Preview Day

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And my final admissions event- ever…

Preview Day has come and gone, being scheduled last weekend. I worked from 7:30 AM to 4 PM on Saturday alone, which was a long day- but totally worth it. One of my favorite parts about being an ambassador is getting to meet new people, and I met a lot of people during the Preview Days!

I started working on Friday from 11 AM to 2:30, standing in the front of the Student Union and answering questions. Mostly I was giving directions, but I got to see a few students that I’d talked to before through ZeeMee and accepted student receptions. It was a lot of fun! I loved seeing how busy the Union was.

The Aviation Professionals Collegiate Group (APCG) had also brought a historic DC-3 to campus for Preview Days. It’s owned by Missionary Flights International, and they graciously allowed students to tour it in small groups. The DC-3 was also used to train students for their multi-engine ratings back at ERAU back in the 1960s, so the aircraft type has history with the university, too.

Of course I took the opportunity to tour the airplane! Every time something new comes to campus, I’m happy to wait in line (or sign up online!) to tour it. I’ve seen a F-15 and Boeing 747 that way, and they’re two unforgettable experiences that I’m glad I had.

The DC-3 tour was structured similar to the other tours. I checked in, got a ramp badge, and waited for an escort out to the flight line. Since it’s technically airport property, everyone needs to be supervised. The DC-3 was sitting in a fenced area, and students were free to explore anywhere within the fence. I started by doing a full walkaround of the aircraft before heading inside to see the seats and flight deck. It’s a tailwheel aircraft, so I was walking up an incline while I was inside.

The DC-3!

After the tour, I hit Starbucks before heading to class. My senior design class meets from 4-6 PM on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and I wanted a little extra pick-me-up before my one and only class. That night I went to bed early since I was also scheduled to work from 7:30 AM to around 2 PM.

My first shift, from 7:30 AM to 10:30 AM, was working with the aerospace engineering department. As a member of the Aerospace Engineering Student Advisory Board, I spoke to students and their families about the curriculum one-on-one. The most frequently asked questions were about the different tracks (we have four!), how I liked it (I’ve loved it!), and if I had a job lined up (yes- at Boeing in Southern California!). Just like in previous years, students and their families have had some awesome questions that I also asked as an admitted student. Unfortunately, since I was a May 2020 high school graduate, I never got a Preview Day.

After that, I ended up going back to the admissions building to collect materials for my second shift. That was working the information fair for the Women’s Ambassadors, and we had free stuff and handouts to give away. I collected the stuff before heading back to our assigned table, which was next to the housing department, and I spoke to students who approached the table about our program, my personal experience, and what I did at ERAU.

The information fair ended at 2 PM, and when done, I cleaned up. While I was done with my scheduled shift I was still happy to assist, and ended up at the Henderson Welcome Center near the photo booth and T-shirt handout desk. I helped there for the next two hours- giving away T-shirts, taking photos of families, and even walking some people to places on campus. It was a lot of fun, and I definitely got my exercise in!

If you ever have the opportunity to attend Preview Day, I highly suggest it. I know it’s not possible for everyone, especially if you live far away- but it’s a great look at the university to see if it’s the right fit for you. I’ve really enjoyed my time here, and although I’m graduating, I hope to see you at ERAU one day. Until then, I’ll see you in the next post!

PS Department Social

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As the current College of Arts & Sciences (COAS) Student Council Engineering Physics Representative, myself and the Astronomy & Astrophysics Representative organized this semester’s Physical Sciences Department Social. We had a huge taco bar, appetizers, cookies, sodas, and more! We also had a Pie-the-Professor event where people could pay $5 to pie volunteering professors with whipped cream! Profits are going towards more PS department events with free food for students and faculty! Enjoy a picture from the event 😀

College Meal Prep

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As we go through college, we realize that it may be time to start getting little parts of our life together one by one including health! Routine exercising and some “touch-the-grass” times are great ideas. Another way I do this is through meal prep! This saves me money and forces me to eat more balanced meals with certain nutritional aspects I need (more protein, vitamin B, etc.). I am on campus usually all day (around 8:30am-8:30pm) due to classes, meetings, work, etc. I purchased a backpack on Amazon that was only around $25 that is very sturdy and has a built-in cooler/lunchbox as a front pouch. It looks very fashionable and is very useful. I meal prep around 1 day per week with a bunch of balanced meals that I can easily throw in tiny containers in my lunchbox to eat and/or microwave throughout the day. Some things that I’ve been making lately are curries, bowls, and casseroles. I also try to get some type of fruit that I can carry around easily (sliced pears in a ziploc, a tangerine, dried figs, etc.).

Now, how do you eat a balanced meal on a budget? Well, the meal prep helps a lot. I go to Costco (or Publix when there are good BOGO deals) to stock up on meats (ground beef, ground turkey, chicken thighs, etc.). Then, I put them in my freezer. When you see meat on sale, just get it and stick it in your freezer. Then, I grab some frozen, fresh, and canned veggies, maybe some jar curry sauces too. Quinoa and rice are also cheap things to buy in bulk. Then, one day per week I make all of these things in bulk and put them in my fridge to slowly eat at school from my lunchbox or reheat on a night that I come home late. (You can also make these foods in mega bulk portions and split ingredient costs among friends.)

For example, here is my meal prep this week: (all of these are my own concoctions, but if you need ideas ChatGPT is weirdly good at this too)

  • Chicken Saag
    • I had some chicken thighs in my freezer that I chopped into cubes and cooked with a premade saag curry sauce pack from the store. It turned out great!
  • Protein-rich Rice
    • I had leftover bean rice, daal, and a lentil curry pouch. I combined them in a pan to make a protein-heavy rice that can be eaten on its own or paired with the chicken!
  • Asian-inspired Ground Chicken
    • I’m mixing ground chicken and ground turkey with some five spice and oyster sauce to make an Asian-inspired meat that can be eaten with rice, quinoa, or just in lettuce cups!
  • Broccoli
    • I just blanch some frozen broccoli and mix with a bit of butter and garlic powder; these are neutral ingredients that makes this a good side dish to anything.
  • Grains (Rice, Quinoa)
    • I usually always have these on hand in my fridge to pair with protein and/or veggies.
  • Eggplant Pesto Casserole
    • I had some leftover pesto and spinach artichoke raviolis that I layered in a pan with sliced eggplant and extra parmesan then baked. It came out so good!

The Last WA Adventure: D.C. & Richmond, Virginia

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And an unexpected stop in Charlotte, NC… this wasn’t on my bingo card either.

My final trip as a Women’s Ambassador has come and gone! I went back to Washington, D.C. (which is one of my favorite places!) and visited Richmond, VA for the first time. Both cities were great! I started out in D.C., flying in on Friday afternoon to meet one of the admissions counselors there.

Since my last visit to D.C. had focused more on meeting up with people, this time I was very excited to see some of the famous monuments and landmarks. It was a lot of walking, but my first stop was the cherry blossoms around the Jefferson Memorial. The cherry blossoms were in full swing, and it was a gorgeous sight! Looking across the water, the Washington Monument stood tall in the background, and it wasn’t even that cold outside.

Cherry blossom season near the Jefferson Memorial!

After that, we decided to walk around more of the downtown area. I could see the Capitol building down the street, but we eventually decided to see the White House instead. It was starting to get dark (and cold) but that didn’t stop me. From the White House, we went to see the Washington Monument, the World War II memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Even at night, there were some tourists around, and I was having the time of my life.

We returned to the hotel late that night, and I went to bed. The reception was the next day (on Saturday), and it was similar to the previous events. The full-time admissions staff gave a short presentation, and then I went around talking to students and their families, answering any questions they had. The D.C. reception was pretty big, so I had a lot of new people to meet!

The D.C. reception!

Once the reception was over, we packed up and hit the road for Richmond, VA. It was about a two-hour drive, including traffic, and I ended up sleeping part of the way there. That was when I got a bit more homework done. I’d had some assignments that I wanted to work on, so that’s exactly what I did.

The Richmond reception was smaller than the D.C. one, but it was still a lot of fun! Just like at all of the receptions I’ve been to, people have had great questions. The Richmond reception also had this amazing butter cake for dessert. It was probably pure sugar, but it tasted amazing and I absolutely loved it!

Since there were still several hours until my flight left, we ended up touring the Richmond area! We walked around a street full of shops, including stopping at a bakery where I bought a sticker that reminded me of my cat. I grabbed a snack at a dumpling restaurant, and then we headed to the airport.

Unfortunately, my flight ended up being delayed – significantly. I was flying through Charlotte into Daytona, but the flight from Richmond was delayed due to a backup on the airline’s end. I ended up missing my flight into Daytona Beach, which just so happened to be the last flight of the night.

Although unexpected, I saw the delay more as a side adventure rather than an inconvenience. I only have one class on Monday, and I emailed the professor and explained my situation. I then headed to the customer service desk where I got the airline to pay for a hotel and meal voucher, so I spent the night in a Charlotte airport hotel. I ended up ordering DoorDash and getting a little more work done.

In the morning I took the airport shuttle back to the Charlotte airport. The hotel check-out time was 11 AM, and the flight that they’d booked me on didn’t leave until 3 PM, so I had plenty of time to sit and work on homework. The airport reminded me a bit of Riddle. In the main dining area, there’s a big glass wall so you can see the aircraft going in and out. I sat and worked on my lab report while watching the planes.

Charlotte airport!

As my boarding time got closer and closer, I headed over to the E gates, where my departure flight was. On the way there, I saw a big 777 in the background and just had to snap a picture of it (see above). I then kept walking, and eventually, boarded the flight back to Daytona. It was smooth all the way down from Charlotte, and I arrived around 5 PM.

From there I got right back into it. My class was from 4-6 PM, so I showed up at ERAU with my suitcase in tow! I also had a meeting after my class, so everything seemed to work out well despite the interruption.

Since I graduate in May and have no other trips scheduled, that was my last trip for ERAU. It’s definitely a way to go out with a bang!-Even though the Charlotte adventure was unexpected, it was still a fun experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Delays and unexpected circumstances are part of aviation, which is at the heart of ERAU. I’ve had so much fun over the years meeting people in their home cities while seeing parts of the country that I’d never seen before. Preview Day is coming up, so if I haven’t met you before, maybe I will there. If not, I’ll see you in the next post… and hopefully at Riddle!