10 interesting facts about project manager Sara Payne

I’m Sara Payne, the second-newest team member at T&S as of the writing of this article. I’m the Project Manager, aka Organizer of Success. I work remotely in Colorado Springs, enjoying a view of the Rockies.

As an introduction, here are some interesting facts about me.

Fact #1 – I owned a black-footed ferret.

They were classified as extinct in 1980 but were put back on the endangered list when discovered in Wyoming. We found him under a shed, and he was domesticated. We had him for six years until his passing.

Fact #2 – I taught English to Bantu refugees.

When they fled their homeland and came to America, I volunteered to teach English to the children.

Fact #3 – I have a Patas monkey named after me.

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo’s director named one of the female monkeys after me. She is the dominant female and has two children. 

Fact #4 – I kayaked the Saranac River.

While making a pit stop on the river shoreline, I got to hang out with a bald eagle. 

Fact #5 – I love flightless birds.

What’s not to love? They still have scientists baffled, and what they lack in flight, they make up for in cuteness. 

Fact #6 – I’ve climbed six mountain peaks.

While living in Lake Placid, NY, I managed to climb peaks on my time off. My favorite peak was Owl Head, and I climbed Mt. Baker for regular cardio. 

Fact #7 – I was a cellist.

I was in the orchestra from elementary school till the end of high school. I occasionally played the gong in percussion and ensemble. 

Fact #8 – I’m a leaf peeper.

Yes! I like to peep the leaves. It is a tradition that started out east but extended to the west. I just went through the Colorado western passes to observe the turning of the foliage. 

Fact #9 – I’m Assyrian Orthodox Christian.

My maternal side is Assyrian from Urmia, Iran. I’m proud to say that my people are one of the oldest nations of Christians. 

Fact #10 – I haven’t flown in a plane since 1999.

The last time I was on a plane, I traveled from South Carolina to Oregon. I’ve relied on the wheels and feet ever since.

What do you think? Does anything in there strike you as particularly interesting?