Seventy-seven years ago, nautical pioneer Amelia Mary Earhart attempted to circumnavigate the globe, but disappeared somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

Yesterday, the modern-day Amelia Earhart set off on her own journey from Oakland, California to finish what her namesake started so many years ago, an 18-day, 28,000-mile trip around the world.

“They said, you know, we wanna give her a positive role model. And also give her a name that nobody will ever forget. And that’s certainly been the case,” Earhart said of her parents’ decision to name her after one of the most famous female pilots of all time.

Amelia took her first flying lesson when she was 21-years-old, and became a TV traffic reporter not long after. Amelia currently serves as the president of the Fly With Amelia Foundation, which is a nonprofit that gives flight-training scholarships to young women.

We are packed, pre-flight is complete-time to fly the Pilatus PC12 to Oakland to start this adventure! #flywithamelia pic.twitter.com/CVIczGjP1w

— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) June 25, 2014

Women still remain a minority in the flying industry, and only make up approximately five percent of commercial airline pilots. Amelia hopes that her journey will be beneficial for the future of female pilots everywhere.

Safe arrival in Oakland… thrilled to be just hours away from departing on the 24,300 NM voyage! #flywithamelia pic.twitter.com/TSdtzeX78q

— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) June 26, 2014

Amelia recalled a recent event where she was standing in front of an aircraft to take a picture. “A gentleman walked up and asked me if I wanted a pilot in the shot,” Earhart explained. “I said, ‘sir, there is a pilot in the shot’, and he said, ‘oh, am I in it?’ I said, no ‘I’m going to go fly this airplane!'”

Dear Amelia, I'll see you in the sky. It's time to do this #FLYWITHAMELIA pic.twitter.com/opHDHTO37b

— Amelia Earhart (@Amelia__Earhart) June 26, 2014

Amelia is thrilled to be honoring her namesake, and when she reaches her final destination she will be named the youngest woman to circumnavigate the globe in a single-engine aircraft. “There have been times when I’ve momentarily thought, you know, if I had a different name, things might be a little easier,” Earhart said. “But now that I’ve embraced it and I’ve said that I’m going all in, it’s so much fun!”

Image via Twitter