WANDERLUST -- by Jane Kelley

I have a STRONG desire to travel. That's why I became a writer. I wanted to experience more than one life had to offer.

And so I have flown with a flock of pigeons, outwitted a large black bear, haunted a house, cast out a demon, and eaten slimy tofu while hiking the Appalachian Trail.

I confess, I did those things while sitting at my desk. 

Sometimes I do go on actual adventures. A few weeks ago, I visited the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I saw many rockets and the Atlantis space shuttle and the actual room where engineers guided the astronauts to take their first step on the moon.

I also got to sit in a replica of the cockpit of the space shuttle, flick a few switches, and imagine I was on my way to fix the Hubble Telescope. 

Or maybe travel to someplace else? Once those giant rockets enable me to escape Earth's gravity, the sky is no longer the limit. There's an entire universe out there waiting to be explored.

Hmmm. I wonder what life on another planet would be like?

Jane Kelley is the author of many middle grade adventures. She is currently working on one that gives her the chance to think about life on other planets.