After a decade at the publishing company, I was fired. I had worked so hard for so long. I was always doing my job 1 , clawing my way up the ladder. And 2 ? Doing these things had 3 me in the end, very little of lasting value. I wondered what would happen if I let it all go—didn't look for a job, didn't keep my 4 ambition.

    My husband thought it was a great idea. “Just 5 .” he said. As a serious windsurfer, he suggested I try the sport as a path to clarity. I had windsurfed before , but only in 6 water. I didn't like high winds. I didn't like going fast—that was 7. But I wanted to abandon the past. My 8 was to do nothing but read and windsurf every day. I wanted to feel the fear and do it anyway. I wanted to learn how to ride the currents, and I couldn't think of a better way than to 9 myself to the invisible, ever-shifting wind.

    I decided to sail at Swell City, a favorite outpost on the Washington side of the Columbia. That July 10 to be one of the windiest months on record. I grew to find that what I was doing did 11 for my standing in the world. It won me no friends.Then again, I was 12 .

    One day, a friend and her l5-year-old son came, and after I explained my 13 , he said the simplest but most profound thing: “It's all in the 14 . ” This kid had windsurfed only three times , 15 he knew the secret. “If you go out there knowing you're going to 16 it, you will, ”he continued. “But if you go out there afraid you'll get hurt , you will. ” I smiled at him. Wasn't that 17 the same problem I'd encountered in life? I'd always been terrified l wouldn't reach the goal or 18 the job. I knew I had to let that fear go. And slowly I did.

    The wind wanted nothing from me. It cared not at all about my ambition or accomplishments. It 19 me that the beauty of life is in the trying. And that's where I am: still trying for the turnaround in life and in the 20 .

    One night, when I was eight , my mother gently asked me a question I would never forget. “Sweetie, my company wants to  1me but needs me to work in Brazil. This is like your teacher telling that you've done 2 and allowing you to skip a grade(跳级), but you'll have to 3 your friends. Would you say yes to your teacher?” She gave me a hug and asked me to think about it. I was puzzled. The question kept me 4 for the rest of the night I had said “yes” but for the first time, I realized the5decisions adults had to make.

    For almost four years, my mother would call us from Brazil every day. Every evening I'd 6 wait for the phone to ring and then tell her every detail of my day. A phone call, however, could never replace her 7and it was difficult not to feel lonely at times.

    During my fourth-grade Christmas break, we flew to Rio to visit her. Looking at her large 8 apartment, I became 9 how lonely my mother must have been in Brazil herself. It was then10 I started to appreciate the tough choices she had to make on 11 family and work. 12difficult decisions, she used to tell me, you wouldn't know whether you make the right choice, but you could always make the best out of the situation, with passion and a 13attitude.

    Back home , I 14 myself that what my mother could do, I could, too. If she 15  to live in Rio all by herself, I, too, could learn to be 16 . I learn how to take care of myself and set high but achievable17.

    My mother is now back with us. But I will never forget what the 18 has really taught me. Sacrifices 19 in the end. The separation between us has proved to be 20 for me.

    It was a hot day in Bangkok (曼谷). I was walking out of the busy Grand Palace, and some 1Thai teens started asking me questions. Noticing that I was2, they were interested and wanted to know more.

    “Oh, so lonely!” they said to me when they learned I was,indeed,3 solo for the long journey. I smiled and shrugged. They didn't know I've 4 been alone.

    I'm surprised by how much more outgoing I've become. Instead of putting my5down and ignoring the person who may be6me on the sidewalk, now I smile and say hello.

    The only bad thing is the fleeting (短暂的) nature of the relationship one builds on the7. I've felt sad more than a couple of times over parting ways8a fellow traveler. But there are always9friends and possibilities just the next town over.

    Part of the10of taking this trip was the knowledge that I'd be doing this alone. At first, I tried to get friends to11with me for various legs of the journey. I asked close friends, then even not-so-close12, then slowly realized that I might never travel if I13around for a time when a friend of mine would be free to14me.

    If I was really going to do this, it would have to be alone.

    As it turns out, traveling alone is the best15I could have made. You always have to make16considerations for others when you travel with others. Sometimes, you have to do things you don't feel like doing.

    Solo travel is amazing. And really,17I truly want and seek out18, I am never alone. I always have a group. I never feel19. Sometimes, being alone forces you to reach out to people you might not otherwise have ever 20.

    So don't fear traveling alone. It's the best thing there is.

    “How did you do it, Dad? How have you 1 not to take a drink for almost 20 years？” It took me almost 20 years to have the2to even ask my father this very 3question. When Dad first4drinking, the whole family was on pins and needles5 he got into a situation that, in the past, would have started him drinking again. For a few years we were6to bring it up for fear that the drinking would begin again.

    “I had this little7 that I would recite to myself8four to five times a day.” was Dad's9to my 18 year old unasked question. “The10 were an instant relief and constant reminder to me that things were never so 11that I could not handle them，” Dad said. And then he 12the poem with me. The poem's simple, yet profound (深奥的) words13became part of my daily routine as well.

    About a month after this talk with my father, I14a gift in the mail from a friend of mine. It was a book of affirmations (断言)with one affirmation listed for each15of the year.

    I16opened the book to the page of my birthday to see what words of wisdom this book had in store for me.17of disbelief and appreciation rolled down my face. There, on my birthday, was the18poem that had helped my19for all these years! It is called The Serenity Prayer.

    God, give me the serenity (平静) to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to20the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

A welcome gift

    Dario and his mother loved their new apartment.  The living room was large enough for their piano. That night, the two of them 1 side by side at the piano. They played jazz music to celebrate their new home. The loud 2filled the room and made them feel very happy.

    The next morning, 3,their happiness disappeared. Someone had left a 4 under their door during the night. One of their neighbours had written to complain（抱怨）about the sound of the piano. Dario's mother asked the building superintendent（管理员）if he knew anything about it.But he said that they were all 5 people and he couldn't imagine any of them had done that. Later that morning,

    Dario suggested that they write a letter to their 6 and apologize for their playing.

    “Maybe we could go and 7 everyone in person," his mother said.

    “What if we invited them to come here for a 8 instead?" Dario asked.

    They both loved the 9.Over the next few days, they 10invitations and prepared desserts for their guests. They decorated the apartment with streamers(彩带) and party lights.

    Finally, the day of the party 11. Some guests brought presents. Others brought flowers. Some even brought desserts to 12.One woman, Mrs Gilbert, 13 Dario's mother with a book of piano music by Chopin. “I heard you playing the other night,”she said. “The sounds woke me out of bed.

    I 14 that you might play like this every night. So I wrote a short note.I hope you don't think I disliked the playing.” Dario's mother smiled at Mrs Gilbert.“I think maybe we15 you an apology," she said.“I didn't 16how late it was when we were playing. Maybe we should play some quieter music at night.” “You play, you play!" Mrs Gilbert said.“I like what you play! Just not so loud at night." She pointed to the book she had given them. “These songs are not such 17 music.”

    “These songs are beautiful music," Dario's mother said. “We will be18to play them in the evening.” “And we won't play so loud or late!”Dario said. He was already looking forward to 19 the new music. More than that, however, he was happy to see the big smile on his mother's face. It gave him a feeling of 20 and made him feel that they were home at last.

    My son Joey was born with club feet(天生特厚的畸形脚). The doctors assured us that with treatment he would be able to walk1, but would never run very well. The first three years of his life were2in surgery(手术). By the time he was eight, you wouldn't know he had a 3when you saw him walk.

    The children in our neighborhood ran around as most children do during4, and Joey would jump right in, run and play, too. We5told him that he probably wouldn't be able to 6 as well as the other children. So he didn't know.

    In seventh grade he7to go out for the cross-country team. Every day he 8 with the team. He worked harder and ran9 than any of the others—perhaps he sensed that the10that seemed to come naturally to so many others did not come naturally to him.11the entire team runs, only the top seven runners have the potential to12points for the school. We didn't tell him he probably would never make the team, so he didn't know.

    He13to run four to five miles a day, every day —even the day he had a 103-degree fever. I was14, so I went to look for him after school. I found him 15all alone. I asked him how he felt. “Okay,” he said. He had two more16to go. The sweat ran down his face and his eyes were glassy from his fever.17he looked straight ahead and kept running.

    Two weeks later, the names of the team runners were18. Joey was number six on the list. Joey had made the team. He was in19grade —the other six team members were all eighth-graders. We never told him he shouldn't20to make the team. We never told him he couldn't do it… so he didn't know. He just did it.