Speaking of traveling, wouldn't it be sad to travel only to obtain a pin in your wall map?

Some enjoy travel simply to say they have been there, done that. They research the destination, not just to research for value and timing, to create expectations. Their vacation is founded upon travel reviews and message boards and then they leave, knowing exactly what will happen and when. They go with their expectations and seek the same experiences as read in books and on the Internet. Instead of finding a location that appeals to them as an individual with their specific needs in mind and then creating their own experience, a mix of planning and chance, they receive a less than unique experience. They come home, write their reviews and stick the pin in their wall map. It will be all they can talk about for the first week, but will eventually turn into just another pin.

Where is the mystery? Where is the romance? Where is the intrigue? Where is the potential for unique experience? Where is the passion? Why are Americans so into the cookie-cutter experience anyway?

Kate

Kate needs a vacay.

Really, I do.

I need to get away for a bit. Somewhere different, special, a place I've not been before. I have several vacation destinations on my list. They include, but are not limited to: Costa Rica, Greece, Italy, Galapagos Islands, Fiji, Africa and India.

It's been several months since I have been able to leave the country or go someplace interesting. Owning a home makes travel difficult, there is always something needing your attention and money. Before owning a home, I travelled at least three times per year, not including domestic travel to visit friends and family.

As a child we did not travel often. I was a teenager before I made it onto a plane for the first time. Over the next several years, I spent a lot of time visiting new destinations in the United States, even moving around to different states. Once I saw everthing I wanted to see at the time, I traveled overseas. It was a big deal for me and still is. Though I wish I traveled as a child, I wonder if I had, would I be so accustomed to it that I no longer found it interesting, but just . . . there?

Kate

There is a new Kate Bishop in town. She is 5'7" tall with legs up to here, wind blown raven hair, absolutely perfect skin, hazel eyes and curves to die for. She is still in highschool. One can only hope she is at least 18 years old. Not only does this Kate Bishop have impeccable genes, but a fortune is awaiting her as she is also an heiress. Surely it's a substantial sum as her father owns a string of successful companies under Bishop Publishing.

Kate is athletic and graceful. She is highly skilled at archery, fencing, sword fighting, jujitsu, boxing and other forms of combat. In addition to these skills, she is level-headed, independent, tough-minded and blunt. These atributes have landed Kate into a team of sorts. I am not sure exactly what they do, but it is physically challenging and seems rewarding.

She has a lot going for her, but like the rest of us, Kate Bishop has her demons. It has been noted that Kate was brutally attacked at one point, in Central Park. The details are blurry. Though it was very traumatic, the attack was her motivation to become involved in intense physical training outlined above.

Who is this mystery woman you ask? Though I realize I cannot compete, who am I to keep you from such information? Without further delay, I introduce the other Kate Bishop.

Of course, now I have a moral dilemma. The Kate Bishop writing this blog has been around since the Summer of 2004 while the Kate Bishop, comic book character, has been around only since April of 2005. Nevertheless, the comic is geared toward teens and this character is apparently gaining in popularity. I am not sure how I should handle this.

From Wikipedia: Anticipation is an emotion involving pleasure (and sometimes anxiety) in considering some expected or longed-for good event, or irritation at having to wait. Robert Plutchik listed anticipation as one of the eight basic emotions in his psychoevolutionary theory. See also hope. A name for pleasured anticipation is excitement.

Anticipation can be shown in many ways; for example, some people seem to smile uncontrallably during this period, while others seem ill or sick. It is not uncommon for the brain the be so focused into an event, that the body is affected in such a way. Stage fright is a type of anticipation, stemming from the actor or actress hoping that they perform well.

Sometimes in life, anticipation is better than the actual event in which you are anticipating. For me, the most high-risk, expensive or sinful activities provide the most delirious levels of anticipation but also the most disappointment should the highly-anticipated experience fail to meet my now towering standards. I wonder why this is?

Rarely do I find a book I am unable to read cover to cover. Oh, there have been a few off the top of my head, Davinci Code being one (I can hear the collective gasp right now). Usually I fight through to the end but do not consider it a waste of time for every book has it's finer points.

By the time I get through to the middle of a novel I may find it likeable or I may love it. Jose Saramagio's Blindness was difficult to read at the beginning due to his writing style and I almost gave up on it. Had I given up, I would have never found my favorite book of all time! A perfect example of a fight well worth having.

The books I despise are few and far between, easily forgotten in fact. I am not opposed to Chick Lit. These familiar books are easy to read while traveling and your seat is being punched, someone is snoring in your ear or when your mind can't help but to wander. Once I read The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, I essentially gave up on this genre. The book was horribly written and even worse was the editing. Storylines were dropped, spelling and grammar was off. It was terrible to the point I considered writing the publisher for a refund. "What was the world coming to?", I thought. After reading the book reviews on Amazon, I felt much better. Since then I haven't picked up a book that's premise is brand name clothing. How boring.

The Devil Wears Prada is still number one on my Most Hated List, but at a close second is A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. This is the book that flew to the number one spot for several weeks thanks to Oprah's Book Club, only to find out later thanks to The Smoking Gun that much of the book was false. All hell broke loose for James in the form of Oprah Winfrey and Larry King. Things seem to have quieted down.

I received the book during the holidays before the author was outed. Because I hadn't read the book yet, I hadn't formed an opinion and to be honest I wasn't all that interested anyway, but one couldn't help but know about the drama unfolding. It took me three weeks to get through his book and it was not a labor of love. People apparently liked it a lot, so I held on hoping for a turning point along the way.

The book is 300 plus pages and is written as though it were a diary, a poorly written diary. He repeats sentences over and over to the point the reader thinks she might have dejavu. James is a highly unlikeable fellow. I hoped that by the middle of the book he might turn it around or maybe I would grow to at least appreciate him, but when he decided to try to kill himself, let's just say I wasn't opposed to that idea. He had a nice family, a family that many people would love to have, who were supportive both emotionally and financially. He didn't give them enough credit.

I have never been through rehab nor have I had reason to go. Perhaps I am not understanding what James went through. As for the embellishments, I don't think it's as big of a deal as people have made it out to be. Sure, he should have written a disclaimer, "This book is based on a true story", otherwise the book didn't seem too far from the truth unless a person elected to rip it apart and in that case, most books based on truth would likely crumble.

It's been some time since I've read a truly great book. Alas, a stack of at least 30 books awaits me as purchasing them and receiving them as gifts ranks right behind reading them. A daunting task but someone's got to do it.

Kate