Forget January first. As far as the Well Rounded Woman is concerned, it’s the return to the classroom that really signals new beginnings. For her, the opening of school is when life seems to start afresh and all things appear possible. Hence our heroine is happy to forgo the noisy revelry of New Year’s Eve: it’s the resounding snap of spines being broken on new text books that she longs to hear. And even though she is well past school age herself, this unstoppable student knows one is never too old to learn. She also knows intriguing educational opportunities are available in every state. But focusing on just one—Florida—allows her to cut down her travel time and cram in as many courses as possible.
Cook up a Storm
The upside of being well rounded, in the literal sense, is that starving is never an issue. Truth be told, our luscious learner could probably sustain herself through a lengthy hibernation. Yet while ample girth in itself doesn’t trouble her, the idea that “you are what you eat” does: after all no lady wants to be defined as a microwavable corn dog. So after careful consideration (and a last minute feast on her freezer contents), the Well Rounded Woman has chosen to swear off high-fat convenience foods and finally learn to cook. When only fresh, flavorful dishes will do, the obvious place for her to hone her skills is the kitchen of Chef Allen Susser’s eponymous restaurant in North Miami Beach. Susser virtually invented Floribbean cuisine in the 1980s and his creations—marrying Floridian, Caribbean, and Latin influences—rank as New World classics. Neophytes can see how to whip these up themselves in group sessions that range from $50 Passion for Food classes (complete with demos and tastings) to $138 Lunch-and-Learns. Ambitious amateurs can also enroll in the more intensive Serious Cook program: a one-on-one experience providing four to five hours of hands-on instruction.
Get Your Motor Running
Once upon a time, the Well Rounded Woman enjoyed nothing more than taking a leisurely drive. That pleasure, however, has been dulled of late. Now it seems the open road is clogged by careening cars and cantankerous commuters who endlessly jockey for position, which is precisely why she has decided to pick up a few competitive driving pointers from the pros in Daytona Beach. This east coast city has been dubbed the “Birthplace of Speed” in honor of old-timers like Henry Ford and Louis Chevrolet who raced their prototypical vehicles along the sand here. But negotiating the 31° banked track at the Daytona International Speedway takes savvy too. And the best way to develop that savvy is by slipping into a driving suit, then into the seat of a NASCAR-style stock car courtesy of the Richard Petty Driving Experience. You can watch and learn, shotgun style, with a $134 Ride Along or actually take the wheel with the Rookie package. Priced at $525, the latter is a three-hour car encounter that includes a high octane version of Drivers Ed (with both in-car and on-track instruction) followed by eight laps around the legendary loop at up to 150 mph.
Take a Leap of Faith
Ever since she was a girl, the Well Rounded Woman has been inexplicably drawn to sawdust and sequins. Unfortunately, adulthood interfered with her dream of running off to join the circus. Clowning around seemed inappropriate on her career path and motherhood made her focus on juggling responsibilities rather than balls. So when presented with the chance to live out her fantasy (at least for an afternoon), she set her sights high—thirty feet high, to be precise—and enrolled in a trapeze class overseen by ace aerialist Tito Gaona. After spending seventeen years with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey, Gaona established his Flying Trapeze Academy at the circus’s original winter quarters in Venice (about twenty miles south of Sarasota) where he now welcomes swingers of all ages … and all body types. The narrow ladder and wafer-thin launch platform may not have been designed with the rotund in mind. Hanging by your hands, moreover, can be a mean feat for someone who hasn’t managed a chin-up since middle school—even with a safety harness attached. Nevertheless, the exhilaration of flying makes the risk (like the price) seem paltry. Adult lessons cost only $40.
