I've been flying GA for four years now, first in Japan (USAF Aero Club) and now in Alaska.

Some of the highlights: doing my commercial cross-country over the entire mainland of Japan in an N-registered aircraft and being treated like a celebrity, accidentally flying through a volcanic ash cloud (smells awful), blowing a tire at an international airport on landing (had traffic backed up for an hour), flying over 200 miles over open-water to Okinawa in a single-engine. Then there's bush, glacier, and mountain flying here in Alaska. Also, flying low and slow to help people spot wildlife. Not to mention floats and skis.

The best thing however, is the camaraderie and learning from the old-timers. One person I know has been flying up here since the forties and still is active.