THIS BLOG POST IS DEDICATED TO THE STUDENT PILOTS WHO USED TO FLY AT THE OLD CHAPEL HILL AIRPORT (UNTIL THE UNIVERSITY STRANGLED THEIR FUNDING AND SHUT IT DOWN).
My housemate, Thomas, is a recurring joke on the podcast. He likes to go to bed early, and we kept him awake for hours that first night of recording. What our readers might NOT know, however, is that Thomas is also a brilliant entrepreneur. He’s always full of good ideas and quick to take action. The most recent of his wild plans:
“Carter, how do you feel about barbed wire?”
Now, to be perfectly honest, I had never hopped a fence before… BUT I’VE SEEN MOVIES.
In Fight Club - with Edward Norton and Brad Pitt - they throw a rug over the barbed wire and scramble over the top without a scratch, so OBVIOUSLY, we followed suit.
I wouldn’t ordinarily recommend trying to replicate the stunts you see in films. That’s why they flash the big “DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME” warnings on Youtube videos. But in this particular instance, it worked like a charm. In no time, we were out on the tarmac, racing down almost a mile of open road.
Our joyous wops filled the air, our wheels grinding the pavement beneath our feet. And when we sat down to appreciate our surroundings and re-hydrate, two things immediately stood out: the deafening silence and the vast swath of blue sky above our heads. Nowhere else in Chapel Hill can you experience such stillness or take in such an open expanse. It felt as if we had been transported to Arizona or New Mexico.
The air was hot, but every breath felt deep and full. We were completely alone, and yet rarely have I ever felt such camaraderie. Everything was exactly as it should be.
Look, who cares if you fail? Stop feeling inadequate, go out into the world, and make memories! Have yourself a life worth living!! At the end of the day, tiny moments with the people who love you can be just as much impact as that incredible internship. A deep conversation at 2:00am can alter the course of your life in a way that even four years of college education may not be able to. It’s that day in the sun, that night with a friend, that single moment of pure bliss that provides us with fulfillment. So by all means, chase your dreams, and never stop chasing them… But don’t forget to enjoy yourself along the way. Relish the journey, and delight in the small things.
As always, listen to Carter Will Be An NPR Intern on Spotify at: spoti.fi/2N5Cu2L
For a what’s-what about the podcast, visit my about page.
For an evolving page of photos/experiences, visit my portfolio.