As a child I attended a week long day camp called Redwood Grove. It was aptly named, since everyday we would gather at the entrance and walk down into a giant redwood forest in the Los Altos hills. There was a boardwalk that meandered through the trees, open spaces and an old house in the style of a Mexican hacienda, centered around a courtyard. In the house we would learn about the environment, local indigenous tribes, and native wildlife. We played any number of games in the open field and did scavenger hunts through the forest. My favorite part was making fry bread covered with cinnamon and sugar. That was until I was old enough to go to the older kids camp where we got to spend the last night of the week sleeping outdoors in the forest.

After the normal day of camp ended we would eat dinner and then the evening events would commence. This involved stories, chewing mint lifesavers in the dark and watching them light up in each others mouths, and laying out our sleeping bags. The highlight of the night was an unlit walk/hike around the camp and through the woods. It was terrifying and thrilling. We had just spent the week learning about all the native animals and creepy crawlies and then spend 30-45 minutes walking alone in the dark along a rough trail. Scary though it was, I was always happy that I chose to do it.

Today I picked up The Week magazine and turned to the last page, which is usually an excerpt from a current book. It just so happens that the article was from a book that I’m going to read for my book club called Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail. It’s about a woman who walks the entire Pacific Crest Trail (Mexico to Canada), by herself, with no previous hiking experience. Whoa.  Along the same lines is the book Eat, Pray, Love and some of my favorite movies Under The Tuscan Sun and Southbounders. These are all stories of women who have set out for one reason or another, usually because of tragedy, on their own personal walkabouts. And I want to do that too, minus the tragedy. I give you #17.

1. Travel to 6 of the 7 continents. Let’s be honest, Antarctica is a long shot. So far I’ve been to North America (Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica) and Europe (France).
2. Spend time practicing yoga at an ashram in India, with my brother.
3. Join a choral group and sing with them regularly.
4. Tour all 50 states in an RV.
5. Visit Monet’s Gardens at Giverny.
6. Take ballroom dancing classes so I can ballroom dance for fun.
7. Travel to a far away destination by boat.
8. To be exceedingly generous to my family and friends.
9. Write a book.
10. Complete all three courses designed by BKS Iyengar in his book Light On Yoga, over the prescribed 300 weeks (5.7 years). 
11. Go hang gliding.
12. Catch a baby being born.
13. Champion a cause – out of hospital midwife assisted birth.
14. Have a garden worthy of a Sunset Magazine photo shoot.
15. Fit comfortably into a coach class airplane seat.
16. Throw a huge party and invite all of our friends and family. Dancing included.
17. Go on an epic solo adventure.