Ms. Ray said she had been a model fiscal citizen since graduation.

Ms. Ray takes the responses she gets and posts them at www.glowlab.com.

"We want to bring nature and the country into urban areas," Ms. Ray said.

Ms. Ray prepared for her moment by doing what she has always done.

Ms. Ray paid for about 100 friends to fly there.

But as her friends will tell you, Ms. Ray has always looked for opportunities.

The bigger issue may be whether Ms. Ray can keep up with the life she has created.

But Ms. Ray, almost 50, wasn't sure that she would or even could consider having more children.

Ms. Ray often seemed to be running away, although it was seldom clear why.

No one was more excited about the first day of school than Ms. Ray.