As a kid, adults in my life always referred to me as “precocious.” A city girl, born and raised on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, I was speaking in paragraphs — and hailing taxis from my stroller — at nine months old. By fourth grade, I had written my first publicly performed play about a group of kids who form a band and travel back in time to meet ’50’s rocker Elvis Presley -- only to be rescued from the past by ’80’s popstar, Paula Abdul. And by age 12, I knew the New York City public transit system like the back of my hand, had appeared on a talk show, and could do almost as many celebrity impressions as my dad, a professional actor and standup comic.

When I grew up, I thought I’d become a performer on Broadway, or maybe a Veterinarian/Fashion Designer/Peace Activist/Rock Star who occasionally served her country on spy missions to Mars. But what I wanted more than anything was just to be a grownup — to live on my own, make my own decisions and be treated with (what I perceived as) an adult’s due respect by the world. As you can imagine, that didn’t make me exactly easy to parent — the type of kid who treated the decree “Go to your room!” as negotiable, the loud, bossy, supremely self-confident little girl who exasperated teachers and irritated camp counselors, but who (I hope) was ultimately loveable in the end.

Now that I’m cobbling my adult way in the world, I admire that little girl’s self-assurance and even feel some affection for her most, er, stubborn — alright, obnoxious — behavior. And although my urge for intergalactic superstardom has somewhat declined, I’m still kinda hoping to be a rock star when I grow up.

That’s right. Although some of you could probably spot this turn in the tale a mile away, I’m no longer desperate for the world to see me as an adult. In fact, once I finally got out on my own, it was as if my circuitry completely re-routed, and all of a sudden I saw the value in being young — in the energy, creativity, enthusiasm and open-minded curiosity of a kid’s point of view. Now I’m trying as hard as I can to stay young as I can for as long as I can, by maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle so I can count on my body to support me in the years ahead, by pursuing my passions (like writing, performing, traveling, music and art) and cultivating new loves, and by doing my best to meet the world anew, with fresh eyes, every day.

That’s why I’m so excited to be a part of the Blue Zones team, to study longevity cultures and to report back to you. Because as I figure it, there’s no better way to learn the secrets of staying young than from the people who’ve been doing it for a lifetime.

Live Large!

Eliza