In precisely one year and five months–if all goes to plan–I will have one hell of a decision to make.

Door 1: blow my savings to buy  a little plane and a tremendous amount of aviation gas and enjoy the first of what I hope would become many summers of flying around for fun, and someday when I’m good and ready, for both fun and income.

Door 2: blow my savings to learn how to fly helicopters and begin what would be a journey of many, many summers to becoming a commercial rotary wing (helicopter) pilot. There are two big snags with this plan: flying would never be strictly recreational, only work. fun work, granted, but strictly work. The other: this plan puts a cap on my teaching career. After earning a commercial license along with instrument and CFI ratings, I would have no option but to immediately give up teaching and take a flying job wherever I could find one, mostly likely leaving Alaska in the process. To take a break from flying is a very, very very big no-no for a brand new commercial rotary wing pilot.

I do have to say, of all the dilemmas I could possibly have, this one’s beautiful, as both options involve flying. I suspect that, should I actually come upon these two doors in one year and five months, I’ll go for door 1, but only time will tell. Next update: end of november.