I never minded flying cheap. I always said to myself, ‘Taking this flight saves enough money to rescue four dogs, or six cats, or will let me make a difference to the one woman saving chimps in Cameroon.’
There have been many times when I was working out intensely and in the best shape of my life, and then, for whatever reason, I got off track. Before I knew it, 3 or 4 months would go by, and all of a sudden, I’d find myself exhausted halfway up a flight of stairs!
By the time I got into test work, it was dying out. It wasn’t really flight test at all; it was mostly testing new gadgets.
There is one person who sends me three cards every year. One on New Year’s, one for my birthday and the third that marks the anniversary of my flight into space.
Like a lot of people, I pray for a sick relative or that kind of thing, but I don’t pray to make my next flight connection at the airport. I find prayers before sports contests to be insensitive and kind of demeaning, at least when someone prays to beat the other team or something like that.
I reached my full height at age 11, and I was clumsy as all get-out – all elbows and knees, couldn’t get up a flight of stairs without falling down. I wanted to be a cute, petite blonde, but I’m a big ol’ strapping thing, so I just accept it.
There is no way I would ask others to go on a Virgin Galactic flight if I didn’t feel it was safe enough for myself.
Take time to enjoy the flight – read a good book, watch a film, catch up on emails and sleep.
If you’re on a night flight or are incredibly tired from jet lag, somehow a tiny bit of bronzer and self-tanner on your face, legs, and arms just makes you feel rejuvenated and refreshed.
We are a nation of innovators and problem-solvers who sparked revolutions in democratic government, civil rights, communications, flight, rural electrification and technology. We are a country defined by ideals now in need of rescue.
Waste Management was based in Chicago, but I lived in Ft. Lauderdale and for 10 years had to commute to work – catch the 5 P.M. Sunday flight to Chicago and the midnight return flight on Friday.
