It’s been a rough day. A day when you find out that someone you idolize has passed. Erissa was nothing short of a tornado, a volcano, an epic force of nature. The only difference being that instead of leaving disaster in her wake, she left joy, vibrancy and inspiration. She idolized me and for no reason. She was the one that I idolized. She came from meager roots but when she planted those roots in her new home, she was unstoppable. She achieved more with less than I could ever imagine. She loved food, drink, riding her motorcycle, her baba, her beagles, dancing in her hangar, flying, but life; life is what she loved most. She lived it with abandon and I loved her for it. Her passion was explosive. Her heart was on her sleeve. She felt everything intensely and she conquered the world regardless. I can’t imagine a world without her. She was an adventurer. She viewed her life from the cockpit of her 182, through the windscreen of her bike and mostly through the eyes of everyone she met. She was filled with insecurities but despite this, she only gave back confidence. She gave back optimism. She gave back joy. She was a precious gift, not soon forgotten. She swore more than most, cared more than most, loved more than most and gave more than most……. She was more. She was a woman of profound substance. She will beat in my heart for as long as I live.
