the misty sea spray caressing catherines face portends the unclear path ahead as she contemplates the beginning of her new life in california her tenyear journey will include a new relationship a trek to the highest summit in the contiguous united states and a poignant hospice experience that will challenge her to rise from the ashes of despair catherine decides to leave boston when a company from the silicon valley presents an offer for her very successful website design company after accepting the buyout she signs a contract with a los angeles based health care corporation to work as a consultant and thus begins her decadelong stay on the west coast as time passes in her sunny new environment catherine grows increasingly homesick despite the thrill of falling in love and her passion for hiking the southern california trails conflicts arise when the desire to return to her native new england dominates her thoughts and she meets kenny a young man who is facing his final days as catherine sits at kennys bedside she helps him work through his struggles to understand love and devotion while facing the fear of a completed lifes journey their conversations inspire her to reflect deeply upon her own life the decisions she has made and the path she must follow