the game of life

who knew a fairly simple board game could be so... entertaining (and thought-provoking)? i played for the first time today ~ i went to college, studied to be a vet, went to grad school, lost my job and became an athlete, got married and had a son at some point, and then retired ~ all within an hour. though primarily a game of chance, each player is forced to make a decision at multiple points on the board. when i reach those "orange spaces" in reality, which paths will i choose to pursue? i'll have to figure things out soon, but i still have some time. in the words of how i met your mother, i'll let "future jean" worry about it ;)

by the way, my 11-year old cousin won the game... with her 9-year old sister close behind.