Cathy Luchetti is an author who published 10 books, and is now working on the 11th one which we touch on in the episode. Her focus for most of those works has been the stories of the people of the American frontier, a term she defines in this episode. She has chronicled stories of women and men, their daily lives and struggles in a way that had not been done before and even caught the attention of former First Lady Laura Bush. But what fascinated me the most was everything we shared. Here I am, in the house of a person I have never met, and we both deeply appreciate some of the same things –
o We both know Texas, where Cathy grew up and an appreciation for the desert
o We both enjoy the outdoors, and most interestingly, be both love climbing
Cathy has summited peaks as high as 20,000 ft
o we talk about our love for being outside, but also the conflicts it brings when it puts us behind on our work
o my favorite author is also Cathy’s favorite author and you’ll have to listen to find out who it is
Cathy, like many others I have interviewed, has travelled near and far. She, on the other hand, has brought not only material mementos back from her trip, but she has also shown an interest in other cultures, and then incorporates her learnings into her books. What a great way to travel.
In many ways, Cathy is a self-starter. The adventures she undertook didn’t fall in her lap. She stepped into them with some courage and a willingness to learn, and then she remained persistent and figured out a way to make them work for her. Don’t we face situations like that as well in our life? Why not try the same – be open-minded and willing to be a little bit uncomfortable and then see where inspiration takes us.