Contents

Contents

Preface

Part I: Why I Did This (And Why You Should, Too)

1 Recovering from Childhood

2 The Emptiness of Materialism and Trap of Perfectionism

3 A Living Problem

4 Dry Drunk Grad School

Part II: Introducing My List of 50

5Travel and Adventure

1. Volunteer Vacation

2. A Very Long Hike

3. Solo Safari

4. I’ll Take Manhattan

5. Traveling Shoes

6. Appreciating What’s in My Own Backyard

7. Food, Glorious Food

6 Learning and Teaching

8. Exercising My Brain

9. Back to School

10. Radiohead

11. Consciousness Raising for Adults

12. Consciousness Raising for Children

13. Empowering Women

14. Sculpting a New Life

15. Stitchery

16. Work It

17. Mixed Remixed

7 Social Activities

18. Dating for Dowagers

19. Beat that Drum

20. Sing Like No One’s Listening

21. Third Eye

22. Ordinary People

23. Nothing Like Old Friends

8 Physical Challenges and Well-Being

24. Silent Disco Party

25. Yogi

26. Who Rescued Whom?

27. Back in the Saddle

28. Floating

9 Spiritual Endeavors

29. Excavating My Inner Wild Woman

30. Getting Off the Hamster Wheel

31. Shamanic Wisdom

32. Good Vibrations

33. Healing Self, Healing Others

34. Random Acts of Kindness

35. Higher Power

36. Raising My Spirit

10 Thrill-Seeking Ventures

37. Wind Therapy (Or, What It’s Like to Pretend to Be a Hells Angel)

38. Learning How to Fire

39. Thirty Seconds of Fame

40. Skydiving

41. Inked

11 Lifestyle Changes

42. I Am Enough

43. Seaside Sanctuary

44. Life by the Water

45. Keep It Simple

46. Good Company

47. Model Behavior

48. With the Wind in My Hair

49. Attitude of Gratitude

50. Following My New Road Map

Part III: Lessons and Tools for Your Own 50 After 50 List

Suggested Reading

Bibliography

Appendix

Book Club Discussion Questions

Acknowledgments

Notes

About the Author