Adventurous Life Newsletter - Inviting You to Find Inspiration in Odd Corners (September 2002)

Smack in the middle of August, I thought I was about to be suddenly uprooted and relocated to another state. My husband had received a job offer we didn't think his current employer would match. We got the offer on a Friday night, and the job was to start three weeks later.

Since we didn't have much time, I spent the weekend packing the house and taking mental inventory of the things I would miss. That Sunday, I went running in the woods. Sunlight streamed through leaves and dappled the path. I decided to turn onto a trail that had always intrigued me but I'd never followed. "When will I have the chance again?" I asked myself.

The trail meandered through the trees, over a brook, and finally emerged on a back country road. I decided to keep going. Soon I found myself on top of a ridge overlooking the surrounding valley. Shrouded in soft fog, the edges of the horizon blurred. The hillsides were tumbling shades of green, fading to a tinge of blue in the distance. The world was utterly beautiful.

On Monday, a counter-offer startled us into eighteen hours of decision-making. In the end, it was too close to call. We flipped a coin.

Now that we're staying, I find the experience bestowed upon me a whole new appreciation for the details of my familiar surroundings. I notice individual leaves, the smell of morning breezes, opportunities to get involved in my community. Why did this happen? Because in thinking I had little time left for these details, I afforded myself the luxury of lifting my head to notice them.

This month, carve out a morning or afternoon to wander your neighborhood, follow a path you've always wondered about, or examine the bark of the tree outside your window. Share your story!

Learning C.P.R. for Your C.A.R.

If you don't know which jumper cable goes where, you're not alone. You'd be amazed at the number of women -- and men, for that matter -- who've never changed a tire and aren't sure where to check their car's oil, not to mention other vital fluids. This is one of those things that can save not only your money and time, but an awful lot of stress. Despite the proliferation of cell phones, one of the top concerns when it comes to driving any distance alone -- especially for women -- is "What if I get a flat?"

Hey, if you know how to throw on the spare, you not only save the hour waiting for roadside service to show up (before you then have to drive to a gas station anyway), you also aren't relying on cell phone coverage or the kindness of strangers to bail you out. Another bonus of knowing a thing or two about your vehicle: you can assure yourself before your road trip that fluid levels are topped off -- so your car won't suddenly overheat on the side of an empty stretch of highway.

Learning the basics is simple, and makes for a great community-building activity. Approach your friendly local service station manager and ask if she'd be interested in setting up a small two- or three-hour class. Call it "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Your Car But Were Afraid to Ask..." or something equally witty. Ask how much, if anything, she'd charge participants (keeping in mind that it's great PR for her business). Keep the class size small so each person can get a quick introduction to his or her own vehicle's particulars ("Here's where the jack hides, there's your dip stick...").

Hang up a sign in the local library. Invite your friends and coworkers. Tell your neighbors. Have fun!

This is the first of a multi-part series on Going Virtual. If you've ever thought about joining the thousands of people who've made working from home part of their daily lives, these articles will guide you through some of the technology, paradigm shifts, and practical considerations that can make it possible in your own life.

Did you as a child promise yourself you'd never work in a cubicle? Have you ever daydreamed about working from home on a regular basis? Freedom from office life isn't a far-flung fantasy. Telephones, computers, fax machines, Internet access, and pagers have made mobile life not only possible, but practical. Advances such as wireless technology, the spread of cellular networks, and products like PDAs (personal digital assistants) and SmartPhones are rapidly transforming the professional landscape...