Why You Should Meet an Archy_Sailor

I had somewhat of an epiphany the other day. I have been spending a lot of time on the internet this year and it occurred to me that how and where we meet interesting people has changed; at least for me anyway. With the internet it is much easier to find interesting folk, and sometimes they are the real deal. I love to read about interesting people, too. My latest read is Studs Terkel:Touch and Go.

I can’t readily recall when I last met a truly interesting and fascinating person out in public. If I have to put a time stamp on it, it was in 2004 when Beth Deloria moved across the street from me in a quaint little historic neighborhood in Greensboro. Beth has spina bifida with other related complications.  I never knew she had a disability until she told me.  Beth’s determination and strong will have allowed her to work around her disability and compete in various marathons, including the Boston marathon; and with excellent finishes. She is also extremely talented in many other persuits. To me Beth is a burst of inspiration and is truly pleasant to be around.

More recently, I met up with Louisa in Charleston, also known as Archy_Sailor on Twitter. I consider myself a premeditated free spirit and a complete opportunist. If an opportunity presents itself I’ll take it, whether it is coming across the Atlantic on a freight ship while 4 months pregnant or taking a contract position with an executive of a large Fortune company on a whim (alternatively, I could have mapped out swamp land in Eastern NC), or meeting an Archy_sailor for lunch in Charleston.

Louisa’s life has been pretty adventurous thus far- with little holding back. This girl is going for the gusto and following her dreams to the fullest. That has been my impression anyway. Louisa’s adventure started as a sailor (there were many adventures before this-just read her blog) after attending the Maritime Academy. She worked on several vessels, most notable are the poignant tall ships. Her bachelor’s degree is in archeology and British history. I remember very fondly her tweets from the field working as an archaeologist. Fast forward to this summer, Louisa is driving horse drawn carriages around Charleston giving visitors a delightful oratory of Charleston’s most interesting points in history. In her spare time, when not tempting fate by trotting around Charleston with an ill-mannered horse, Louisa is a diver and accomplished fencer (she is very modest, too) and she has sailed on the QM2. But that is nothing compared to this fall when Louisa leaves for the UK to study maritime archeology, with a focus on Dutch maritime history. I have no doubt that in a year or two when I am watching the Discovery Channel, or looking through a National Geographic magazine in the doctor’s office, I will come across Louisa and learn about her latest adventure, and perhaps, newest discovery.