|
Some jobs lock you in a cubicle for
40 hours a week and drain your soul. I had one of those jobs for two
years before a dear friend nudged me to reach out to Nila and Karen
at Lincoln Daily News. With no journalism experience but several
years of teaching English under my belt, they took a chance on me
and were excited when I turned in my first article at the end of
February. They kept sending me to events; I gained confidence with
each article. I have spent the spring and summer attending events
big and small, political and celebratory. When the beginning of
August rolled around, Nila told me there would be a chance to fly in
one of the hot air balloons for media night for this year’s Balloons
Over 66. With encouragement from Karen and Angela, I signed up for
the event. I had a couple of weeks when I was filled with excitement
but also anxiety about floating above trees with nothing but a
wicker basket between me and the ground. When I told my husband, he
was nervous as well. He has been to 98 percent of the events with
me, so he figured he would get wrangled into a balloon too.
Finally, the festival rolled
around. I was in contact with balloon pilot Austin Hopp. He gave me
instructions for the evening. He warned that we might not get to fly
because the wind was on the brink of being too fast for the balloon
flight. I was disappointed and relieved at the same time. When we
arrived at the former Kroger parking lot for the pilot meeting, four
trucks with baskets and gear were in tow. Brandon and I briefly
spoke with my pilot, Austin Hopp. Hopp says he became interested in
ballooning when his grandpa sponsored an event when he was five
years old, and it made such an impression on him that he made it a
life goal to pilot a balloon. He crewed for many years and has been
a pilot for over a decade. The four pilots determined a spot north
of Lincoln at the Klockenga homestead would be ideal, as the wind
from the north would carry us over town. Brandon and I loaded up in
Jim and Teresa Phelan’s van along with other crew members and headed
north of town. During the van ride out, Jim and Teresa reminisced
about times spent with my father and grandmother at our farm, and
Jim shared a memory of Brandon from when he was growing up. Talking
about the familiar helped calm my nerves. Before exiting the van,
Jim and Teresa gave us advice. They told us that if we got scared
mid-flight, we should sit down in the basket or look out of the
basket for something familiar.
After the crew exited the van,
excitement rose as the pilots watched the test balloon drift into
the air, and with the smooth lift, they predicted a delightful
flight for the evening. Austin came over and told me to take as many
pictures and footage as needed, and that once I saw his balloon
fully inflated, we would be ready to go. I followed the balloon crew
as they unloaded, unwrapped, and began to inflate the balloons. I
eventually saw that “Hoppin’ Around” was getting close to take off,
so I headed over, and the crew helped me into the basket. Brandon
came over, took a few pics, kissed me, told me he loves me, and we
were off.
[to top of second column] |
When we were high enough,
Austin pointed out several Logan County landmarks off in the
distance. We could see Bethel Church, where Brandon and I were
married, and my family farm to the north. We could also see
Elkhart Hill. Even though I was told not to, I looked down and
saw some deer running through a bean field and precisely planted
rows of golden tasseled corn. We waved to several observers once
we were closer to town and even the football players at the
field by Eaton. Hopp was going to try to land near Eaton on the
north side of town. I told him it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if
we kept going. So he continued searching for a landing spot, and
we drifted closer into town.
As he did, a perfect view of
Lincoln College’s University Hall came into sight. As an alum and
former educator at LC, seeing University Hall from this vantage
point reminded me of the many Augusts that passed and the excitement
each new school year brought. It brought back the pride I felt
graduating from there, becoming a faculty member alongside the
professors who had taught me so much, and working hard to pass that
legacy on to my students. It also brought back the memory of the
immense somberness of Lincoln College’s closing, the years of hard
work, and my classmates and students. It is a wound my heart will
feel forever. It reminded me that life changes so quickly and, like
the balloon ride, it may seem like you are moving slowly, but it
goes quicker than you think.
After a brief emotional moment, I continued to look around as the
sun was setting. The Logan County Courthouse and downtown came into
view. We drifted over several church steeples, Peggy’s Place, and
Stuffed Aria. Hopp instructed me to bend my knees in preparation for
landing. The crew pointed out a curb, but Hopp wasn’t fazed; he set
the balloon down and continued giving instructions to the crew and
me. Once Sara Erlandson helped me out of the balloon, I continued
taking pictures of the other balloons and watched the crew deflate
and pack up the balloon.
Thank you to Austin and his amazing
crew for an unforgettable flight. I hope it will be the first of
many. I would also like to thank Nila, Karen, and everyone at LDN
for the opportunity to fly.
Balloons Over 66 Media Flight photo slideshow part 1
Balloons Over 66 Media Flight photo slideshow part 2
Balloons Over 66 Media Flight photo slideshow part 3
[Joli Boerma Crane]
|
