It has been a tradition of mine to take a day trip on my birthday. In 2017, the Peabody Essex Museum had an ocean liner exhibit (I wish they would bring that back!). Last year, I went to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. However, this year I decided to make more of an event out of this birthday and took a few days to revisit an area I first toured a couple of years ago—Ticonderoga, NY.

What initially brought me to that region in upstate New York was my interest in attending the Star Trek: Original Series Set Tour museum. No sooner did I start researching the area to prepare for that visit than I learned about Fort Ticonderoga and other attractions in the area. Sometimes, when I visit a place, I feel the need to return because there are so many things I want to see and do, but due to time limitations, I can’t fit everything in. Thus, I visited NASA twice in a twelve-month period.

When I arrived last week, I drove up to the top of Mt. Defiance and took in the expansive view overlooking Fort Ticonderoga. The next day, I visited that historic fort to explore the exhibits and watch reenactors bring history to life. The day ended with a boat cruise from the fort on Lake Champlain. If you want to learn about the early days of American, French, and British military history that occurred in the region in the 1700s, Fort Ticonderoga is the place to be.

The next day, I returned to the Star Trek: Original Series Set Tour museum. As a Star Trek enthusiast who has watched each episode of the original series more times than I can count, this museum is a must-visit. While the museum has recreated the entire set based on the original studio blueprints of the U.S.S. Enterprise, what I didn’t know was that the layout of the museum was identical to how it was at Desilu Studios in the 1960s!

As this was my 60th birthday, I was grateful that the beautiful weather accompanied me the entire time. Of course, it was during this period that I wondered where the last six decades had gone! However, I can look back and say to myself that I’ve accomplished nearly everything I wanted to do since childhood. Did I have a master plan? No. Were there bumps along the way? Of course. Is the journey over? Absolutely not! Because I still have more to do!

Throughout it all, I think what has driven me forward from one year to the next is having projects to develop and look forward to. Some happen sooner rather than later, while others are years in the planning. Believe me, I don’t view the world through a pair of rose-colored glasses like I live in Stepford, but I do believe that having a positive mindset (or at least trying!) helps.

For me, my life has always revolved around taking risks in my career. What motivates me to do that? I’m not sure; I just know that I feel most at ease when starting something new. From launching a publishing company to producing feature films, these ventures were undertaken with significant financial and personal risk. But through it all, it’s crucial to have a solid team of family, friends, and colleagues around you—those who will both support and caution you.

As Captain Kirk said in Star Trek: Generations, “Risk is part of the game, if you want to sit in that chair.”

I’m sitting.