After seven months in a traveling and writing haze, I can see the goal. 50 chapters, over 500 pages, and a new travel book for women. Hip hip hurray! Only two more chapters to write and I will have a completed manuscript that will be on my editor’s desk at Penguin Books on March 1. As the fog lifts, and the mental mêlée ends, I can see clearly now.

I went grocery shopping on Saturday and picked up a half case of Veuve Clicquot in anticipation of my completion. I already have it planned out in my head: on Tuesday, February 28, I will spend the day at Kinkos printing out the 500 plus pages of the manuscript, making sure everything is properly numbered and indexed, the manuscript will be in the mail by 5:00 pm to make “next day priority.” At 5:05 I will head home, by 6:00 pm, the first of many bottles of champagne will be opened. I can clearly see my success; I have choreographed it to the minute. I can taste the champagne. This has been the hardest thing I have accomplished. Learning how to fly and soloing out of John Wayne Airport was the second-hardest thing.

My editor called today to tell me that the book will be published in February 2007. I asked if we could have pictures of different women at the start of each chapter, she said it was a great idea, so starting in March we are going to have a picture contest. If your picture is chosen (and you sign the publisher’s release form) your travel picture will be in my book. How exciting is that!! So, sign up as a Tango Diva and you will be notified when the contest starts. I think for the best travel picture, we are going to give away a trip somewhere fabulous – of course!