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Esther Lang has packed more than a century with travel, wartime service and creative pursuits. Now, at 102, the Arlington resident continues to turn those experiences into books.

Her first book, “Living Life as an Adventure,” draws on decades of memories, journals, photographs and travel albums. The project grew into a three-part series reflecting a life shaped by curiosity and a willingness to change course.

Born in 1924, Lang grew up in a small farming community in western Maryland. She began writing imaginative stories in high school, where encouragement from an English teacher helped nurture her interest. Both of her parents were educated and enjoyed writing as well.

Lang attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio and majored in physical education. After completing student teaching, however, she decided that working in a classroom was not right for her.

A different opportunity emerged during World War II, when the federal government offered to pay for women to train as physical therapists. Lang accepted and began a career in wartime service.

Her return to writing came decades later, during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Confined to her apartment and looking for something meaningful to do, she followed her family’s longstanding advice to record her memories.

Lang had journaled throughout her travels, leaving her with a substantial record of her experiences. She gathered those writings alongside her albums and photographs to assemble “Living Life as an Adventure.”

She has since expanded her work to books for younger readers, including “The Blackbirds Tour the Parks,” “A Wind Tour Guide Adventure” and “The Adventures of Scarlett Maple Leaf.”

Lang publishes her books independently and connects with readers through local events, personal appearances and online listings. Her path from imaginative student to physical therapist and, eventually, centenarian author shows that a new pursuit can begin at any age—and Lang is still writing what comes next.