Without a doubt, at least when it comes to talking of travel. I'm always dreaming of new cities; other voices, other rooms; places beyond my reach. I could travel all the time and never see everywhere I want to see. In that way alone, I'll have said way more than I'll ever be able to do.

I have quite a few excursions on my 101 in 1001 list. Perhaps too many to be realistic.

First of all, there are the big ones: Egypt this year, Korea & Japan next, a UK National trail, and a multi-day bike trek. That's four big trips in two and a half years, which is a lot, but not beyond possibility.

Then I'd like to visit five national parks. We'd like three weekend camping trips. And something I've always fantasized about doing – just going to Love Field with a bag, finding a reasonable ticket, and taking off for a weekend wherever. That's been something I've wanted to do since high school. Why? NO IDEA. Something to do with this fierce independent & adventurous streak I was born with, I suppose.

Beyond travel, I am actually learning to shut up and just do more than I have in the past. Sure, I have my opinions about politics and health care and wars and nutrition. I have, frankly, blathered on too much about them. Who cares what my opinion is? I mean, I care because it is my own moral code, but since people aren't capable of having sane public discussion, nor acting rationally, nor even being kind to each other, I've decided there isn't much point to airing them. So I have decided I am not very interested in the public discourse as it exists today. I'll just keep my opinions between myself and my husband, and we'll live our nice life according to our beliefs and no one else, raise our children as rational and kind human beings, and pray for me to find a job in the Netherlands or France or Canada so we can receive the social support I'd rather pay higher taxes to have. 

And when it is all said and done, I'd like to think I've said I love you, I like you, I value you more times than I can count to all the people in my life who deserve it. That is one way I think it is ok to have said an awful lot in the end.