My Sister Story: Linda, #2095

My quest in life began long before I knew Sisters on the Fly existed. The fire in me came from a life of working as an RN. It was intensified when taking care of my mother through two bouts of breast cancer: one in 1982 followed by a seventeen-year remission then death in 2000. Working in medicine taught me how quickly things can change.

From that experience, I became obsessed with seeing and doing it all. I’ve discovered five principles to motive me and to live by each day.

– Learn Something New
– Use it or Lose it
– Make short, and long term goals
– Share your love
– Keep moving

I returned eight years ago and bought a 1969 three-story townhouse. I gutted, retired, and-and replumbed it, installed tile and hardwood floors and completely renovated it. Then I flipped it. Now I’m the one who fixes most things around our home.

I am in the middle of a completely from off of a 1965 Airstream Caravel restoration and have a 1950 Clipper trailer waiting in the wings.
I loved fly-fishing as a kid in Montana, and joining Sisters on the Fly brought my Montana roots back to me. Now I fly-fish all the time. I learned to kayak, belonged to a road biking group for almost five years and rode many century rides, and now I’m teaching myself to play the guitar and piano.

Sisters on the Fly gave me a new love of vintage trailers and a palace to exercise my five principals. I found like-minded friends and we developed a little saying – “Tick Tock” – a code we use to remind ourselves there is no time like the present.

I found many women in Sisters on the Fly who had lost someone vital in their life, are suffering from a disease or recovering from one or need someone to learn from or someone to teach. I found close friends with the same desire to do the things I like to do, with the same fire in life.

I am thankful for the new friends I found, for the spirit in this group of women, and for the reminder of all the parallel things that occur in our lives. We helped one another without knowing that help was given, offered strength and fortitude against all obstacles, and shared our collective wisdom and knowledge. Sisters on the Fly reminds me to notiv=ce the green grass, the blue skies, and the gorgeous clouds. When I’m on a trip, I wake up every morning excited to see what the day will bring. Listening to giggles, laughter, jokes, teaching, sharing, swearing and unbelievable support. the words strength, resilience, bravery, adventure, support, and camaraderie describe Sisters best for me.

It’s all a journey and there’s no time like the present.  – Linda, Sisters #2095

This story originally appeared in Sisters Get Thier Kicks on Route 66

Photo by Irene Rawlings, from Sisters on the Fly