Sister follows brother's path
This summer, Samantha “Sam” Weber will follow in her brother's footsteps. Weber, a recent Grove City College graduate from South Buffalo Township, Armstrong County, will travel in Europe but not like others her age.
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Zachary Weber, her brother, died there in 2007.
“He was going to come for two weeks on leave,” said Weber. “Three days before he was coming home, he went hiking in the Alps with two of his friends.”
He had done the same hike before but this time the ground was wet and unexpectedly fell away beneath him.
He had lived at the base of the Alps for nearly 18 months while stationed at Aviano Air Base in the northeastern part of Italy. Weber was 12 when her brother left home for the Air Force and 15 when he died.
“He never really got to know me,” said Weber.
Two years after he died, Weber started looking through his travel mementos. She started thinking about going to the places he visited.
“I had this big pile of papers, receipts and brochures from places he went in Europe. When I found this stuff, I thought this would be a really cool trip,” said Weber. “He was 21 when he died. I'm 22 now.”
“I've always been a traveler myself,” said Weber. Playing soccer she visited South Africa and Honduras with the Grove City College women's soccer team, and she traveled throughout the United States with the Beadling Soccer Club in Pittsburgh.
Her brother kept travel journals. She will too, but with a specific goal: as the basis for writing an inspirational book about family and the challenges everyone faces.
“Right now my idea is to write this as a series of letters to my brother,” said Weber. “I see the book as being similar to that style.”
Although she talked about her idea for nearly six years, she was inspired to act after pitching the idea to an English professor.
According to Weber, the professor said, “This really is a good idea. I don't know why you think you should wait. You should do it this summer.”
“It was the first time that it hit me that I should do this now. That it was real,” said Weber, an English major.
Weber will leave July 29 and be gone for 28 days, and the trip isn't cheap. She decided to raise funds through Kickstarter.
“Kickstarter just uses the power of community and network,” said Weber. “Kickstarter gives you a good sense of whether people support your idea.”
Through an Amazon account, 84 individuals contributed and helped Weber reach her $5,500 goal.
“Kickstarter is like incentivized giving,” said Weber. “People get involved in a project and get some of the perks and benefits of what you're producing in the end.”
Examples of perks for her Kickstarter donors include advance copies of the book, acknowledgment in the book, trip postcards, opportunities to Skype with Weber while she travels and a coffee-table book of photographs.Weber met her goal but she is still raising money for her close friend Sarah Landeene of Richmond, Ky., to travel with her.“We've raised about $500 so far,” said Landeene, who is approaching family, friends and others to help cover the cost.Landeene, also a 2014 graduate of Grove City College, will offer support and work on logistics and photography so Weber will have more time to focus on the reasons for the trip.“I know if I was in her position I would be overwhelmed,” said Landeene. “First and foremost is to be there for her and do all that I can so she accomplish what she wants to do.“I really believe this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Landeene.Weber and Landeene have an ambitious itinerary. They will start by visiting Zachary Weber's best friend who was on that hike and who lives in Germany. Their route will include six countries and at least 18 towns and cities. While in Italy, she will visit the mountain where her brother died.“Sam is very outgoing and she makes friends easily. She has a passion for what she's going to be doing,” said her father, Jim Weber. “This was solely her idea. I think it's fantastic.”“I don't think they thought I would really do it,” said Sam Weber.She is recovering from two soccer injuries this season, followed by two surgeries and will have rehab before the trip.“I have a lot of confidence in her,” said her mother, Alison Weber. “When she started this, I thought, if she raises this money, it's the Lord's will.”“(Zach) left a Christian witness for the world. He made such an impact with other airmen that he worked with.” said Alison Weber.“I hope this trip will bring some closure to my relationship with my brother, but I also know that it may very well create more questions than answers,” said Sam Weber. “Either way, I am ready to take the journey.”
