“It is a good day to be a girl in a man’s world,” Laura Stewart joked as she prepared her brand new hot air balloon, “Tickled Pink,” for its maiden voyage. It was 40 degrees at 5:45 a.m., and the excitement and anticipation were palpable ... Laura’s been preparing for this day for more than 20 years.
     We drove around for nearly 15 minutes in search of the perfect launching point. The crew considered an elementary school playground and behind an airport before finally settling on an empty parking lot free of obstacles like power lines.
Laura launched small test balloons and watched them diligently to see each movement. She timed the balloons to see how long it took to change direction and speed. Instructor Bob Grimes watched closely to be sure each detail was attended to by Laura and her crew chief, Cole Lowery. A 31-year ballooning veteran, Bob knows one mistake can mean disaster several hundred feet off the ground.

The Backstory
In high school, Laura volunteered as a crew person for her favorite science teacher, who was a commercial hot air balloonist. Her hope was to one day become a balloon pilot. At 19, though, she got married and started a family; she put her family first and her dreams aside.
    Laura, now mother to three and stepmother to three more, has dreamed for years about revisiting her passion. “We are the Brady Bunch,” she joked as she attached the balloon to the basket while simultaneously phoning to check on the kids.
    Two years ago, Laura revisited her interest in hot air balloons when she volunteered to crew for Lou Bottiggi, a local balloonist, at an event. As a token of appreciation for her help, Lou took Laura on her very first hot air balloon ride. More than 20 years and much sacrifice later, Laura finally drifted among the clouds.

Flash Forward
As Laura fired up the fan to fill the balloon on that chilly Middle Tennessee morning, I got a little nervous. It suddenly occurred to me that a basket, a balloon and four nylon straps would be holding us — Laura, Bob and me — above the trees, cars, cows and whatever else. I prayed one of those “Please-God-if-I-live-through-this-I-will-never-go-above-the-speed-limit-again” prayers. Laura fired up the propane (“Tickled Pink” has two tanks! Thank goodness for backup!), and I watched in amazement as the balloon took on a life of it’s own. Laura invited us into the basket as she carefully kept the balloon from lifting off. With a wave to Cole, who was waiting in the chase car, we began the voyage. Within moments we were airborne, watching the world from a bird’s eye view. 
    We found a baseball field, and as quickly as we took off, we landed. It was time for Laura to “solo pilot” her new joy. The look on her face as she ascended into the quiet morning was priceless. She told me there were times when she wondered if she’d ever have her own flying oasis, but that morning, she found it.