It wasn't an easy decision. Friends and family members probably wouldn't understand. But JoAnn Hornak decided to do it anyway: On Sept. 7, 2001, after eight-and-a-half years of service, she quit her job.

JoAnn knew for years that being an attorney wasn't personally fulfilling, but she wasn't sure what else to do, so she enriched her life through travel. In 1989, she taught English for a year to Japanese businessmen in Tokyo, and in 1999, she volunteered in Africa for a year, working with Tanzanian attorneys.

It was the year-long visit to Africa that affected her the most. After taking a leave of absence from the DA's office, JoAnn moved to a poor neighborhood in Arusha, Tanzania. There were very few distractions in Tanzania, and JoAnn lived without a car, a TV, or any form of organized entertainment. Plus, it wasn't safe for her to go out at night, so she spent evenings writing e-mails and journaling on her laptop.

JoAnn spent hours writing, mostly long, detailed e-mails, describing her new life with such candor and wit that friends said they laughed out loud.

October 20, 1999 -

Lucas gave me a ride home from work today. He's the head driver at African Wildlife Foundation. He is Maasai and many older Maasai men have more than one wife, including Lucas' father. I no longer wonder why over-population is such a problem, especially in developing countries like Tanzania. Lucas' father has 5 wives, 33 live children by those wives (3 died making the sub-total 36) and 5 children by other women for a total of 41 children! His father is in his 70's and his youngest child is, get this, ONE WEEK OLD! The wife who just gave birth is in her 30's.

I know some men reading this are thinking, gosh, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad to have been born in a developing country. The women reading this are no doubt thinking more along the same lines I am. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! WE NEED TO AIRLIFT THESE WOMEN OUT OF HERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

Lucas' father is by no means in the minority. And he doesn't even come close to holding the record. In a nearby village, there is a Maasai man who has 12 WIVES AND 67 CHILDREN! Lucas said this guy doesn't even know all his kids' names. Not surprising under the circumstances. With him, his wives and children, that's 80 people in his immediate family. Imagine the holiday gatherings. Just so you know, all 80 people are not in one house. Every wife with her own children gets her own house and the husband just roams from hut to hut at night, apparently quite often. For the jealous men reading this, just remember in consolation, its not healthy to be sleep deprived whatever the reason.

Many people suggested to JoAnn that she pursue writing, but despite her friends' encouragement, JoAnn returned from Africa and went back to the DA's office. She quickly realized she hadn't made the right choice.

"It got to the point that I had to do something," says Hornak. "I became unhappier and unhappier."

After a tremendous amount of thinking and soul searching, JoAnn resigned from the DA's office. She immediately knew she was doing the right thing, even if it meant less money (at first, anyway), paying for insurance out of her own pocket and letting go of the prestigious "attorney" label that made her parents, neither of whom attended college, very proud.

"A lot of people think they don't have the freedom to do what they want, but really, they don't want to give up their lifestyle," says Hornak, who has been living off her savings, and has radically readjusted her spending habits.