“I can choose to let it define me, confine me,
outshine me or refine me. I can also choose to move
on and leave it behind me!”
—unknown—

There are lessons to learn in almost every moment of any given day. Basically, if you’re breathing, you can be learning. However, there is a big difference between educational learning and life lesson learning. Educational learning is easy to pick up as you go about your day being exposed to new facts, news, how-tos, words, etc. However, in order to learn life lessons, you have to not only be breathing, but also paying close attention.

It’s been years since I’ve had a hissy fit over the weather, but it is time. I’m not mad at the weather, and I don’t think it’s too hot. I mean it is hotter than a pig at a Fourth of July cookout, but it always has been—it’s August. August doesn’t pretend to be anything else but blazing. She’s not going to tease you with early morning coolness, and she’s stingy with breezes, which is perfectly fine since they feel like a fan in front of bonfire. Heck, she’ll barely even throw shade. August doesn’t care what you say about her because she knows, without doubt, she is hot, and she flaunts it.

I grew up in the basement furnace of South Carolina—Columbia. I start to sweat just thinking about Columbia and August getting together. If it weren’t for Lake Murray and the Woodland Village swimming pool, I think we all would have melted, just like the butter we used for suntan lotion. We looked like cows in a pasture with one tree and a small pond—everybody’s either in the pond with their tongues hanging out, or standing under the tree trying not to move to avoid having heat stroke.

"Clean out a corner of your mind, and creativity will instantly fill it.”
—Dee Hock—

Here’s where we go wrong as women, and frankly as humans in general: We expect too much and give too little. Before you take that deep huffy breath, let me expound: We expect too much of ourselves and give too little to ourselves. Now, take a gentler breath.

In founding the women’s publications Pink Magazine 18 years ago, and Paisley Magazine 14 years ago, I have talked to some women throughout my publishing journey—thousands and thousands of women to be more descriptive. What I have found is a common thread amongst the majority of women—most give too little to themselves. (Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule.)

I don’t know if you’re mad about it but I am. I’m not talking about high gas prices,
I’m talking about Cortisol. I know no one else is talking about Cortisol, but Lord knows they should be. Why? Because it is out of control and making us sick and tired—
and you thought it was politics!

How is it fair in anyway that Cortisol, the stress hormone, gets to be in charge of abdominal fat? It’s like a tyrant running around to every organ in your body, which has to be tip-toed around to keep from punishing us. One study in Sweden monitored stressed-out men and determined those with the highest cortisol levels also had the biggest beer bellies.

“She smelled of sun and daisies
with a hint of river water.”
—Katie Daisy

As I read and edited all the stories on the following pages about brave women who have put themselves out there in the world, finding or making adventures everywhere they go, it made me want to embark on a summer adventure. The funny thing is, out of all the places, activities and adventures these women have taken on, and there are some amazing ones, the thing I’m most jealous of: They have managed their lives in such a way that their adventures have come true.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, here I sit, stressing on how I will take one little week off this summer without having to check into work every day. So, when I read about these women, my take-away is freedom—the absolute ability to leave the daily grind behind. These women have broken away from what is expected, what is deemed as responsible, what is safe and what is “normal,” and instead, blazed their own trails.