My buddy got his ticket last night.
I had something to do with it.
Well, he has something to do with my buckling down, too.
We've been friends for quite some time, but didn't really know that each
other had such an interest in flying.

He'd gotten about 35 hours or so in, then kind of let it flatten off.

For some strange reason, about 3 months ago I pinged him about
some flying things - somewhere in the back of my mind I remember
he'd flown a bit the past few years.
(We don't live near each other).

All of a sudden - the flood gates opened. We must have spent 2 hours a day exchanging
emails about flying, training, images, whatever!
We both buckled down.
He decided to get moving, and it culminated in his getting his ticket last night!

I, hindered by some financial and family medical difficulties, am not able to
fly right now (but will start again next spring), buckled down and decided to get my
exam taken care of by the end of the year.
I've been eating up material - I took all of the online exams at the AOPA Safety Program
sites, even constructed training material, running through checklists in the car.
I even eat lunch at the local airport and read - just being around other pilots/students/CFIs, etc.

What's the point?
The common interest can spark interest and determination, motivation as it were.
We are even talking about joining a flying club (somewhere in the middle between where we live),
and eventually finding some partners to jointly own a plane (or our own club).

Enough spouting - I was just inspired by his email this morning!