I have never felt a strong urge to ride in a hot air balloon, but late this summer, I found myself with the opportunity to join a group of Traveling Cyclones for a ride above Kenya’s Masai Mara. The chance to view migration trails created by hundreds of thousands of wildebeests and zebras, and to see giraffes and elephants from such a unique vantage point, was too enticing to pass up. And so, with instructions from the pilot about properly bracing for takeoff and landing, we climbed into our respective places in the basket and began our ascent.
While I was thinking through the contents of this letter from Kenya and Tanzania, the “Cyclones Everywhere” mantra stayed top of mind. In this issue, you’ll hear from a group of faculty and students who traveled to Dublin to cover Farm O’Geddon (pg. 24); alumna Rahele Jomepour Bell shares how her childhood in Iran influences her storytelling today (pg. 32); and Iowa Staters share some of the most unexpected places around the world they’ve run into fellow Cyclones (pg. 34). This issue also honors the departures of Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen (pg. 18) and ISU Alumni Association President and CEO Emeritus Jeff Johnson (pg. 30) — two dedicated Iowa Staters who left their mark on the university and made lifelong connections with countless Cyclones around the globe.
Meanwhile, back in the balloon, things were about to get interesting. “We’re going to tip,” I heard a voice say from a basket compartment near me. Surely not, I thought. But then I looked up and saw our balloon pilot leaping up to — unsuccessfully — counter our group’s weight. I only had time for a brief moment of panic before our basket fell backward and slid to a stop. And then the laughter came. One by one, our group of Traveling Cyclones wiggled their way out of their compartment, some taking a moment to document how our special ride had concluded.
Do I have plans to ride in a hot air balloon again in the future? Probably not. But I know any experience is a little more fun, even with bumps in the road or if you end up sideways in a balloon basket, if you’re surrounded by Iowa Staters.