"In Uncharted Territory" by Alison Rice Bruster

 – I felt as if I had entered nature’s cathedral.

It was not a judgment call; it was a roll of the dice.

Alison Rice Bruster comes from a long line of women who love the written word. The granddaughter of a librarian, daughter of an English teacher, and sister of a novelist, she was destined to be an avid reader and writer. After a career spent finding the voices of senior business executives, she is writing a new chapter. She holds a BA in English Literature from Queens University of Charlotte and lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina. She is a member of the Charlotte Writers Club, Charlotte Lit, and the North Carolina Writers Network.

Author’s Talk

Alison Rice Bruster

This story grew out of a moment that is indelibly etched on my mind. I was suspended in time, between my life as it had been up until then and the life I would have in the future. When I started writing, I knew instinctively that this was where my narrative would begin, even though it didn’t happen until midway through the trip. 

Putting my newly acquired sailing skills to work while traveling with a group of women I had just met in a part of the world I never imagined visiting was eye-opening and mind-expanding. The quiet, spectacular beauty of the blue grotto allowed me to find clarity about what I had gained from our first week together. 

The trip was a hinge point in my life. The time we spent exploring the blue grotto was a defining moment of the trip. On the first half of the journey, I practiced my sailing skills and got to know my fellow travelers. In the second week, I began to feel more comfortable sailing and found my place within the community. 

The experiences we had together and the welcoming, supportive embrace I felt from the other women helped me imagine a future for myself that was wide open. The confidence I gained equipped me to build a life that was fuller and richer than I had known was possible. 

It was a voyage packed with adventure, fun, and learning. Figuring out how to summarize the flavor and convey the impact of it with a limited word count was a challenge. This led me to focus on one key moment and the enduring effect the trip had on my life. 

I hope my story encourages readers to take chances and try new things. Risks are involved, of course. Things can go wrong, and you can wind up disappointed with the results. But when things go right, the rewards are beyond measure.—Alison Rice Bruster