Author: Heather Sendera

Too tired to write a full post but we had an amazing day!

A brisk morning walk around a lovely lake

Lunch at the top of Hay Stacks

A hike up Loft Beck

Now off to bed before a long walk tomorrow

We had our first minor glitch of the adventure. A massive storm swept through Chicago yesterday and nearly all flights were canceled. Mine was one of the few that looked like it might go out.

But alas, it was canceled and I arrived back home just after 1am.

Rebooked on a 6pm flight today so pray to the weather gods for me! Skye has had a lovely few days exploring London, catching up with friends and is booked in for a fabulous theater production tonight. Hopefully the next post will finally be us together again!

Most likely you are here because you know Skye, Heather, or both of us. We are both turning 50 in 2026 and celebrating by walking Wainwright’s Coast to Coast across England. This was a bucket list item for Skye and she was kind enough to let Heather join her.

In case you don’t know our villain origin story: we met in 1993 when Heather left the US for the first time (thanks Rotary Exchange Program!) and became a student at St John’s College in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia. Skye was in Year 11 at St John’s and the 2 bonded over many things, including their love of Monty Python and Carole King. Here is one of the first photos of us together in September 1993.

From September 1993 to July 1994 we were inseparable. And then our worlds fell apart when Heather’s exchange ended and she returned to Illinois to start university while Skye remained in Australia and finished Year 12.

We wrote airmail letters at least weekly and saved up for our monthly (ridiculously expensive) one hour phone calls. We kept each other up to date on everything….as up to date as you can get via international postal service. Anyone remember sharing photos pre-internet? We took photos on cameras, took them to be developed, wrote “captions ” on the back of any that turned out, put them in an envelope, went to the post office, mailed them, and then waited at least 2 weeks for a reply. Here’s a fabulous example:

And then the international visits began with Heather going back to Australia in 1996 and Skye popping out of a trash can in Heather’s Illinois dorm building in 1997 as a 21st birthday surprise.

In December 1997 Skye completed her University degree and moved to Illinois to stay with Heather and her roommates for their last few months of school. This quick visit extended to 6 years in the States when Skye met James and their whirlwind romance turned into marriage. Heather owes James a debt of gratitude for keeping Skye on the same continent as her as the friends were able to stand up in each other’s weddings and celebrate the birth of Heather and Tim’s 2 kids.

James and Skye moved to Australia in 2003 and the international visits commenced again. Skye and Heather (and Tim and James) have been lucky enough to visit every 2(ish) years in Australia, the US, and Ireland. These visits included another trash can surprise 21 years after the first, but they have agreed that they won’t be doing it again at 63.

A gaggle of memories and now 2 weeks alone together to celebrate 50 years of life and 33 years of friendship. Thanks for joining us on our adventure!

Welcome to “Skye and Heather Do The UK”. Or “Heather and Skye Coast to Coast”. Or “192 miles at Fifty”. Or “What the Actual F Were We Thinking?” Whatever we end up calling it, follow our shenanigans here as we embark on our grand adventure!

*actual image of Heather and Skye in togs