Years ago, a dear friend introduced me to an album, The Music of Olympic National Park by Mars Lasar, nature sounds from the Olympic National Park (ONP) mixed with mind-relaxing, dream-enhancing orchestral music. We played it frequently while working, and I eventually bought a copy for myself—one of my favorite albums of all time. I knew that when we got to Washington, visiting Olympic National Park was a top priority for me. And it did not disappoint, exceeding my expectations, and I was not ready to leave, even though we extended our trip by a couple of days.

We were in Maggie Valley for a long weekend—a much-needed and deserved respite at the tail end of our business’s busy season amid prepping it for new ownership and downsizing our home as we get ready to travel full-time with our Airstream. And we were treating ourselves to an authentic Italian meal at Frankie’s, a popular must-do in this beautiful mountain town.

Seated in the lounge area with a baby grand piano not far from us, a pianist was tickling the ivory with relaxing, unfamiliar melodies as I enjoyed a glass of pinot grigio and fresh bruschetta piled high on made-from-scratch flatbread. When our salads were served, the musician began a new song, and soon my face was contorting, struggling to hold back a torrent of tears. I wanted to run to the restroom to have a good cry, but I would have had to pass through the entire crowded restaurant. So, I just sat there, pouring my attention and energy into my salad, hoping guests at nearby tables didn’t notice the droplets streaming down my face.

Lately, I’ve been thinking of my next 30-40 years—those last few decades that will close out this lifetime before pursuing the next. The recent passing of a mentor and professor of mine had me thinking about a specific avenue, developing and leading online classes for a university that has a Transpersonal Psychology program. After all, I have a master’s degree in it, I’m particularly fond of the various topics that feed into Transpersonal Psychology, and I was specifically influenced by my mentor and teacher through this program. As I looked into it, though, I would either need to become an expert of one particular topic, being a leader in that field, or I would need to get a PhD to even be considered, which in and of itself requires a certain level of mastery of a particular topic in order to write and defend a dissertation. I’m not sure I have that in me right now.

You see, I’m easily a “Jack of All Trades, Master of None” kind of gal, and it occurs to me that I might not want to be a master or an expert of one particular topic or task or skill.