ABSTRACT As the wife and field assistant of geologist Walter Alvarez for the past 56 years, I have shared in adventures on five different continents. The quest to explore the history of our planet has given us insight and understanding of human history and culture as well. From the semi-arid Guajira desert of Colombia to the network of bike paths in Holland, to witnessing the September 1969 Revolution in Libya, from living in a medieval Italian hill town, visiting the Silk Road cities in Soviet Central Asia, participating in the plate tectonic revolution, helping found the Geological Observatory of Coldigioco, and continuing in the stimulating environment of the University of California, Berkeley, our lives have been rich in experiences. Linking it all together reminds us of the nearly infinite number of contingencies and decisions that shape each of our lives and contribute to our shared human history.