became our ultimate goal. What started as a lovely afternoon of ca- noeing on Scappoose Bay ultimately led to our conclusion that living aboard a boat was the most realistic (read: cheap, immediate) means to this end. So we set sail in the name of love.
But there is another aspect we both found appealing about casting off: not danger or thrill-seeking, exactly, but the challenge—and deviance. Jimmie and I both loved the idea of doing something unusual and, per- haps most importantly, something no one else had the nerve to do. It didn’t hurt that it also hap-
pened to be something so many fantasize about: sailing away. Part of the appeal was taking a leap, having faith that we’d be alright, that our self-sufficiency and resourceful- ness and sheer wills would get us through. (You can read the full story of our adventure in The Box Wine Sailors, available now from Chicago Review Press.) Strangely enough, ending up at
Loyola—and in Chicago, for that matter—was a similar leap for me. For reasons I won’t go into here, I dropped out of Illinois State Univer- sity after five semesters and, on a whim, moved to Chicago. After a few months working at a record store, I considered going back to school. But for what? At this point, I was so dis- satisfied, so disillusioned, so over it, to be frank, that I didn’t really know where to start—or how to finish. I had been a communications
major at ISU (with a focus on radio); now, all I really wanted to do was write. I figured if I was going to have any chance of completing my undergraduate education, I’d better pick something I felt like do- ing—forthcoming waitressing jobs notwithstanding.
I talked to a Loyola advisor, was
given a scholarship (which certainly didn’t hurt), and, just like that, I was back in school. And this time, I did finish. My decision to leave ISU was personal (it was me, not them), but I did feel more myself in Loyola’s urban environment. The small class sizes and wonderful professors—Da- vid Michael Kaplan, J.D. Trout, and Barry Silesky, in particular—engaged me enough to pull me through. The rest (and the best) was yet to come: my career as a music journalist, crazy young love leading to my year as a happenstance adventurer, and becoming an author. College students are very focused
on “success,” no doubt, but perhaps they don’t often stop to examine what that actually means to them. I always wanted to write a book and see it published—though, believe it or not, I had no intention of writing about our sailing trip until it was over. Now I have held a copy of The Box Wine Sailors in my hands, I’ve read from it to friends, family, and complete strangers on a three-week book tour. I also always wanted to fall in love. I’ve been happily in love with Jimmie for a decade. That said, I often don’t feel like
a “successful” person; like most of us, I’m still figuring plenty of things out. Life is a process, one we only advance through by living. And for me, that living involves a degree of uncertainty, whether it’s going back to school for creative writing and having no idea where it will lead, jumping on a boat with the love of my life, or trying my hand at writing a book. Those chances have led to some of what I consider my greatest personal successes. Taking leaps—including my leap to go back to school at Loyola—played a huge part in that. L
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amy McCullough (BA ’02), an Illinois native, graduated magna cum laude with a BA in English (Creative Writing Concentration). She is the former music editor of Willamette Week and her first book, The Box Wine Sailors, was published by Chicago Review Press in November 2015. She is currently a graduate teaching assistant and master’s student at the University of Texas and lives in Austin, Texas, with her partner (and former shipmate) Jimmie.
STATUS UPDATE
What was your best spring break trip?
My one and only spring break trip was one for
the ages. Beth Mamolella (Pier- anunzi), Joseph Hosea, Alyssa Astran (Smith), and I, all class of 2002, packed into a tiny Ford Escort in March 2002 and drove cross-country to Las Vegas! Because of much discussion and contemplation during the trip, Beth decided a week after returning to take a chance on dating Frank Mamolella (BBA ’05). They have been married since 2007 and have two beau- tiful children. As for Alyssa and I, we had been best of friends since 1999. The trip solidified that perhaps we were meant to be lifelong partners. We took a chance on dating at the end of March, and are gearing up to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary this May! We also have a potential future Rambler, Alex. —Tony Astran (BA ’02)
Alternative Break Im- mersions all 4 years!
Great experiences & memo- ries! #Pilsen #BethlehemFarm #NazarethFarm —Kelly Olenski (BS ’12, MSW ’14) @KellyOlenski
During my senior year at Loyola, I was lucky
enough to participate in a spring break service trip. I went with a group of students to Kentucky where we spent the week volunteering with the Christian Appalachian Project. —Krista Davis- Anderson (BS ’92)
My favorite memory was my sophomore
year going on an alternative break immersion to Naz Farm in West Virginia. I had the op- portunity to help others and be a part of a unique com- munity. —Benjamin J. Pietrzyk (JFRC Fall ’03, BA ’05, MA ’06)
Loyola class of 2002 graduates, from left, Alyssa and Tony Astran, Joseph Hosea, and Beth Mamolella.
Chris Salituro, far right, on a spring break visit to Rome in 1995.
Spring ’95 Rome Center visiting my LUC ’96 alum sister.
—Chris Salituro (BA ’96, MA ’04) @Sociologysal
The Arch Madness trip last year was pretty great! —Keyona
Castleman (BS ’15) @Kcastlem
Join the conversation Twitter: @Loyola_Alumni
Facebook.com/LUCalumni
SPRING 2016 43
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