Huge flakes...winter wonderland..right here in Texas! We've had at least 7 inches of snow today, and it's still snowing. How does that compare to last weekend on my adventure in DC? Now, that was truly an exploration.

I went to DC to a conference and ended up getting snowed in due to over 20 inches of snow as the city totally closed down. I took some beautiful pictures from my fourth floor window and saw attempted snow removal in action using shovels, blowers, and plows; however, it was soon apparent that these efforts were making little difference as the snow continued for 30 hours. Of course planes were delayed for several days, and we looked for an alternate way to get home. That's when the adventure really began! Since there were no taxis, we started to walk to Union Station at 5:30 am to catch Amtrak. It was only three blocks, but 15 degrees, dark, and there was snow and ice everywhere; our shoes were definitely not up to the challenge, and our wheeled suitcases were not made for snow. Fortunately, Mr. Reed was about to drive his big pickup from the hotel to the train station, and he took us along for $20 apiece - a bargain! Once at the station, we purchased tickets to New York City and Mr. Reed had a redcap take us first to the VIP Lounge, then to the train to get the first seats. What a ride! Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, Newark, and New York City!

We got off at Penn Station in Manhattan right across the street from Madison Square Garden and got into a New York taxi. Scenes from the taxi were right out of the movies: food vendors, tall buildings lining the streets on both sides, crowds of taxis and people, Park Avenue, Madison Avenue, Broadway, and finally LaGuardia Airport in Queens. We were very lucky to exchange our American tickets so that we could fly home from New York City at no extra cost due to the weather in DC. What an awesome day! I did two things on my bucket list with no prior planning: Amtrak and NYC. I felt like an explorer...confident...loving the exhilaration and excitement of travel. All in all, we traveled through seven states that day, and flew over a number of others. It was a magical day in which everything fell into place perfectly, a day when I knew that I was where I was supposed to be.

Yesterday was my 58th birthday. It was a day for reflection as I thought about my past and my future. What have I accomplished? What am I proud of? What do I have left to do? What do I want to do next? How much longer will I live? How much longer will I work? Will I have enough money to live as I want? Will I ever live in Maine? Will I be healthy? How will I die? What legacy will I leave? What memories will I leave for my children and grandchildren? What unfinished business will I leave?

The real question is: How will I live? That is the question that matters. That is the question that I must answer on a daily basis as I make the hundreds of small choices that make up my life.