I would rather swim naked with dolphins at night bathed in bioluminescence, feeling it fall like weightless fireflies from my hair, my breasts, my back, my fingers.

I would rather drink fine, aged tequila neat-with-no-lime, have a smile on my face and smell of cigar smoke, than spend a moment in church.

I would rather laugh out loud from the bottom of my belly than blend in to the monotonic chatter of the grown-ups around me.

I would rather watch sea turtles lay eggs in the sand on a moonlit beach than have a girls’ night out at the bar.

I would rather trample mosquito-filled jungles and dive into unexplored caves than lounge in a chair at a resort pool with a cocktail in my hand.

I would rather lose myself in the depths of a mother whale’s eye and find my soul transformed forever.

I would rather live in a horse & buggy town than reside in an upscale, gated community. I’d rather walk my dog off-leash, befriend a great blue heron in the neighboring wetland, skinny dip in the pool when the sun goes down.

I would rather experience the agony of a broken heart than close my soul to the possibility of profound, lasting, mutual love.

I would rather appreciate wealth as representation of my unbridled freedom than live in a state of lack.

I would rather own my own house and weave elements of my past, present, and future into the creative expression that is my home.

I would rather luxuriate in the soft, enveloping warmth of my empty bed than share it with a man I do not trust and love with all of my heart.

I would rather jump in with both feet and learn from life’s rhythms than sit safely at home dreaming of a life that never unfolds.

I would rather drink the ocean, breathe the sky, taste each moment, celebrate being madly alive, again and again and again.