Journeys are an interesting part of life. To say that my life has been one big adventure would be an understatement for sure. When I think back on it, I knew I never wanted to stay put in Medford, which is a not so small city, seven miles north of Boston.

The world was always bigger than I could imagine, and something about California was always at the forefront of my mind. Of course, before California, I dreamed of Europe. In fact, instead of going to college, I wanted to travel across the Atlantic and spend a year or two going from city to city and country to country.

1983 was a time before cell phones and Email. The only way to stay in contact with people was via phone or postal mail. My parents, particularly, my mom, would not hear of my leaving the country. It was out of the question, no more discussion. I was to go to college, even though I had no idea what I wanted to study or where I wanted to attend.

When I realized that I wouldn't win the Europe discussion, I decided on an out of state school. Once again, I was met with resistance. The only choice was an institution close by, as my father would not even entertain the thought of my living away from home. I couldn't even tour a small school in Rhode Island. My dad didn't like to drive to the beach, which was less than ten miles from home, let alone leave the state to look at a college. Instead, I reluctantly chose Suffolk University - where "all of downtown Boston is your campus."

Unfortunately, I was miserable. Going every day to a city where my mom and I went all the time held no fascination for me. A year later, I transferred to Boston College, where once again, I was met with resistance. I had been given housing, which as a transfer student was extremely rare. However, my father squashed that idea and bargained that if I took public transportation for a year, he would buy me a car. Lesson number one of life - get everything in writing, for 365 days passed and it was, "Well, you've taken the train for a year, you can do it for another." In rebellion, I lined up an off-campus apartment.

When I was once again met with resistance, I reminded my parents of their promise that I would get a car. In the end, it was a small win. I was pretty lost in college. Not living on campus, I felt isolated and I met only one person I can proudly call friend to this day. My friend, Sue was my savior and made me feel like a person for the very first time in my life.

After graduation, I wasted no time in moving to Boston. With my rent a staggering $500 a month, I managed to stay in the city for almost three years until I followed my heart to California. I suppose that I've always been a wanderer. Once I got to San Francisco, I wanted a taste of more of the world. From there, I finally traveled to Europe, and, although I am Italian, I fell in love with Paris. And when I at last took my mom there in 2010, it was a dream come true.

There was so much of the world to see, and sharing something I loved with someone I loved was everything to me. I had no boyfriend, no significant other, I had only myself and the family I created in California. But as before, I left my family and tried my luck once again in Boston. However, I found that the city of my youth didn't change. It was I who had morphed into something different, so I returned once again to the City by the Bay.

Yet, it wasn't long until Southern California beckoned. Try something new, I thought. What if I had moved to Los Angeles all those years ago and not Northern California? Why not try to get into the world
of entertainment? I set a goal, finally getting a job at NBC, which allowed me to frequently travel to New York City. It was there that I moved once again, only to discover that relocating for reasons of escaping life is not the best course of action, and I returned once more to California, where I thought I'd stay put forever. Living in Los Angeles and traveling back and forth to my desert oasis of Palm Springs was something that made me happy.

And, then, a Texan arrived, and my journey continued. There were so many paths in my life that I didn't take because I was afraid or because I was told I could not undertake. What if I had gone to Europe all those years ago and not attended college? What would my life have been if that were the path I had undertaken? I've never been afraid to take risks. Being fearful of the future keeps you stuck to repeat your present.

On one of our trips to Europe, my mom shared her stories of her past and all the what if's she was afraid to face. Those vacations were pivotal in how I saw the world and how I came to realize that nothing should ever be taken for granted. Be in the moment, breathe in what's around you, for it all fades too quickly. The past is done and cannot be changed, yet you can always take charge of what's next.