Page 20 June 2011 Childhood dream of being a pilot became a reality By Kaley Kalil Although Don Romley has lived in the Biltmore area for 36 years, he found himself at home in the sky for 26 of them. “I fl ew domestic with Delta Airlines, but I preferred international,” Don said. “I fl ew international for about 18 years fl ying all over the world.” He found himself fl ying to fairytale cities all over Europe, landing in culturally rich countries throughout Asia and South America, cruising up to Canada every now and then and soaring all over the U.S. “It was an exciting career,” Don said. “I’ve been very fortunate.” Back when Don was in the 6 th grade, he had to write an essay about what he wanted to be when he grew up. “I wrote that I wanted to be an airline pilot,” Don said. “My mom saved that essay and I still have it today.” The fi rst plane Don ever fl ew was a small air coupe, a side-by-side two-seater. “I actually started out fl ying as a hobby,” Don said. “My dad owned a business and he bought supplies from another individual who had a small airplane. That gentleman didn’t have a son and his daughter didn’t want to fl y with him. So, he asked me one day if I wanted to go fl y with him and I said yes.” After college, Don decided he wanted to get his pilot’s license. He attended Sawyer Aviation, a small fl ight school here in Phoenix. From there, he went to work for a small commuter airline, Apache Airline, until it went out of business. One more stint fl ying with another commuter airline left Don feeling bored, so he went to work for the telephone company for a short time in the marketing department. “When the Department of Public Safety had an opening for a pilot, I got back into fl ying,” Don said. “I was responsible for the transportation and safety of two Arizona governors – Gov. Jack Williams and Gov. Raul Castro. We also chased dopers coming across the border out of Mexico.” The company next door had a couple of jets that always caught Don’s eye, and when he saw they had an opening, Don jumped at yet another opportunity to advance his career as a pilot. “I decided that that was probably a better deal for me than staying with the state,” Don said. “So, I went to work for them and I fl ew Gulf Streams all over the world. It’s been a great career.” Don was able to mix work with pleasure and travel, taking advantage of lengthier layovers to visit such famous sites as Paris’s Louvre Museum, the ancient ruins of Rome and the imperial waterways of Moscow and St. Petersburg. “Once you get into that environment, it’s just like going to the grocery store,” Don said. “The international trips sound like they’re a long way away and everything, but they’re really not. Because you go back to the same cities so many times, you just sort of plan what you want to do and see on each trip, bit by bit.” Some of Don’s favorite memories include late-night visits to crepe carts in Paris and wearing his ushanka (Russian fur cap) in Russia. “When I was a kid and we would take family vacations, we would always go over to Santa Monica, Calif. for a week or two,” Don said. “That’s all the travel I ever did, other than around the state of Arizona. Whoever thought that I would end up going to all these other exotic places … and get paid to go do it?” Don retired from Delta Airlines fi ve years ago and is enjoying his time here at home and on the ground. He currently is planning his next overseas adventure to some of his favorite European cities and countries - Prague, France and Italy - in October. Kaley Kalil is a 24-year-old traveler from Arcadia who has lived in and traveled to roughly 30 countries. Email her at kaley.kalil@gmail.com. Return from overseas trip sometimes not all you expect By Kaley Kalil I have a friend who recently returned home from a life-changing, soul-searching, adventurous journey backpacking through fairy-tale Europe. With his Eurail pass in hand and his passport safely guarded, he instinctually made his way solo through worldly cities like London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome and Barcelona. “I can see how it’s hard to compare life abroad with life at home,” he wrote me. “It’s funny, I’ve noticed that everyone comes up to you and says how much they want to hear about your trip, but then they never ask again. When you’re traveling, it’s easier to relate to other travelers. An Australian friend I met in Munich said he tried to go back home, but he felt like he never fi t in once he left. Do you have any tips for adjusting to life back home after being overseas?” Understand the situation You’ve returned to the States (whether by choice or by lack of funds) and feel disconnected from your life here in the U.S. You feel your friends and family don’t understand you anymore, and that they have trouble relating to the eye-opening life you’ve seen, lived and breathed. The fact of the matter is you’re right. By no fault of theirs, (or yours for that matter), they weren’t there with you when you stood next to the Colosseum in Rome and felt the smallest you’ve ever felt in your entire life. They weren’t able to spend that incredible night with you and all those youthful, energetic Europeans dancing your socks off till early morning in Barcelona. The international barriers you’re bridging, whether understood by others or not, should simply be appreciated by you. Not everyone is a traveler. Not everyone has that want to see more, experience more. Text books and photographs are all some people need to get their fi ll of world history and culture. And, you need to understand that’s OK. Reconnect You should surround yourself with friends and family who get where you’re at, who recognize where you’re coming from. Share your experience with those who are interested, and help others plan their trips and vacations when possible. Continue exploring Be a tourist in your own town. Take lots of pictures, keep a travel journal and plan weekend trips to nearby areas. Go camping, visit the Grand Canyon, fi sh in one of Arizona’s beautiful lakes, tube down the lazy river. By immersing yourself in the local culture, you can continue that drive and eagerness to learn more about where you are, to explore what’s at your fi ngertips. Share and discuss Join online communities that share the same interest in travel as you do. There are literally thousands of great sites, networks and blogs to help you feel connected to your global roots from any given place. Start your own blog to share your experience with others. Plan Never stop planning your next big adventure. You’ll travel again someday; this isn’t the end of world discovery for you. Not if you don’t want it to be. You are a traveler at heart, a historian by choice, and you’ll always grab life by the horns, no matter what part of the world you’re in. Kaley Kalil is a 24-year-old traveler from Arcadia. 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