I’m overflowing with all kinds of emotions as I reach the end of “This is Why…” Did I touch down and land safely or is that sinister spiral still pulling me under? There’s only one way to go, and it looks like there won’t be a dry eye in the web after all is typed and posted.

Hair today, gone tomorrow. Back in my teens, my stylist once told me I had “model hair.” I’m not sure if she was just being kind or trying to keep me as a regular, but there is no way I could walk into an agency with my matted mess and get offered a gig. If only she was able to trim my reality for that to be true.

The bigger, the better; that’s the key to perfection. The bigger we can make our bank accounts, reputations, and influence, the better our lives become, right? Where does that leave us in relation to each other, though; does the drive to enlarge our position take precedence over all else?

The path to righteousness…can it be plotted out using the cluster of red marks that adorn my face like a treasure map? I’m guessing not, so how do I go about scrubbing out the shame and forgetting the scars of wrongdoing? Will I ever find the right answer?

When I visited the Adler Planetarium in 2016 for its Back to the Future REEL Science Film Series event, I was at a very different place in my life. Had someone given me a glimpse of my future then, I probably would have jumped into this Delorean to edit the past. Unfortunately, we can never quite know what exactly our future holds, though, so how can we prepare for it now?

"Who are you?!" the pesky caterpillar bellows from behind the looking glass as I try to avoid my reflection. Alice certainly had better luck peering in and not being viciously attacked by her own inner demons when they caught sight of her, but maybe the lessons she learned could help me face the evil clown who picks me apart in the mirror. If only the Mad Hatter 'twas brillig!

Adidas: All Day I Dream About...Sports? Sex? Sugar? Though the popular brand is not, in fact, an acronym for anything, it has been suggested that dreaming is the first step toward actualization, especially in fairy tales. But what if I'm dreaming about more sleep, and instead of reaching for my dreams while I'm awake, I hit the snooze button? Cinderella certainly would have had a different ending if she were in my shoes. 

The Price is Right is part of the morning routine within the Chicola household. Each day, the familiar theme song echoes through the kitchen, while contestants "come on down" to win big prizes via games like Plinko, Cliff Hangers, and Hole in One. While I'm sure the beautiful cars everyone jumps up and down for are spectacular, my Jeep continues to prove its longevity and durability, demonstrating to me that it is the "whole package" despite the naysayers. Would trading in make me a traitor?

Where there's smoke, there's fire. I spied quite a few versions of Smokey as he issued warnings and instructions about extinguishing campfires along my path. Unfortunately, "pour(ing) lots of water" will only make my overheated phone more miserable and angry. "Only you can prevent forest fires," and we accomplish this by recognizing when and why things overheat, right?

Some tents and sleeping bags are made for freezing cold, pouring rain, and blustering wind; others (like mine)...not so much. I expected the conditions to be warmer overnight as I traveled further south, but the elevation of each of my stops left me vulnerable to the reality of the frigid weather. When life freezes your lemons, what's the next best move?

After spending a majority of the trip digging holes to...lay waste...I walked into a pit bathroom at Arches National Park and was reacquainted with my long-time friend: the toilet. Why did it seem so foreign in those first moments? Don't worry, I didn't make the mistakes of Number 2 or 3 (or a combo of both), but returning my life back to the flush may require further training...