Passion – it has a number of definitions:

  • “a strong and barely controllable emotion,”
  • “a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something.”
  • We all have a number of passions, right?

    Four years ago today a childhood passion was reignited after living for a couple weeks with some people I did not know and had never met but with whom I shared the same passion – spaceflight. The STS-133 NASA Tweetup for the final flight of Space Shuttle Discovery brought us together for over 115 days. Bonding with people who have the same child-like wonder and excitement was truly a life-changing event.

    Since seeing a crumbled piece of Skylab on TV at the Miss Universe pageant I have wanted to fly in space and work in the space industry. Thanks to the incredible people I have met and professors who have taught and helped me in the past four years, I now have that opportunity.

    I have accepted an internship opportunity at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Yes, THAT Houston, but it is definitely NOT a problem.

    The internship is ISS Avionics and Software Assurance Analyst and it runs from 26 January 2015 until 15 May 2015. I’m sure that sixteen weeks will fly by in no time.

    It is an exciting and, to be honest, scary situation. Basically putting a stable, awesome, and well-paying job of fourteen years on hold, and leaving behind absolutely incredible teammates and bosses, for intern pay and the unknown. Also leaving my friends and family and the only place I’ve every lived.

    Some may think it to be a foolish move. This time and place in my life affords me the chance to be a little unconventional.

    I’ll probably be the oldest intern in the group, but we’ll teach each other, and just like my friends from STS-133, I’m sure we all have the same passion – spaceflight.

    Don’t be afraid to follow your passion! As the old proverb goes, do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.

    Who knows, maybe I’ll be the oldest in another elite group of trainees in the near future.

    See you soon Houston!

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