Just a Wisconsin girl with a dream.....
As a child it is said that I announced at the age of 6 or so that I wanted to live in Paris. Mothers response was "But you don't even know where Paris is!"
But something in my destiny certainly did, as Paris guided my first goals and choices to say the least.
After moving to Los Angeles (age 20) to help open the California market for The Limited Stores at the height of their popularity, things moved fast and ahead at a dizzying speed, and at 25 the "dream" began to take shape. Having been moved into the main buying office for the Limited, the norm was to have the luggage packed and in the trunk of your car every Monday ready to take off to wherever things were happening in fashion. As a matter of fact, I saw Tokyo before seeing New York!!! Not bad for a girl from Brillion no?
And then Paris happened, and things would take a decisively new turn. After working with the Kenzo design team in Paris it was obvious to me that Europe would become home one day. And in 1985 I left what was a wonderfully promising career while in Paris, and shortly after packed those few precious belongings left after the mega garage sale in Ohio. It truly was starting over!
But Paris was not to be the new country of adoption no matter how much I loved France. It was Italy and the Italians my destiny, and 24 years later, the choice is still proving a fascinating challenge.
After 15 years of fashion consulting with US/Italian firms including Ferragamo, Bruno Magli, and St. John, it was time to hang up the designer duds and start all over again, but this time combining business with a long time love for sailing.
And once again destiny would play a key role. After having spent numerous holidays in the South Pacific sailing, and weeks on a similar yacht in the Mediterranean between Italy and Spain, it was obvious to me the size and kind of boat I really felt at home on.
Then Aorangi found me in 2005 and the rest is history! We made the big leap together, and have been inseparable ever since. We've cruised and raced over12000 nautical miles in our short 4 1/2 years together, and it's only the beginning!
Now I spend my time “working” with Aorangi, offering exclusive romantic cruises for two that allow me to share my love for Italy with fellow patriots and more Europeans than I ever imagined, as well as sailing cruises that allow me to “use my muscles” and enjoy some time at sea with sailors of all types and levels of experience in a very relaxed atmosphere.
And every now and then I do go home to Tuscany, and the hillside lifestyle that is so famous in this country. It's sort of a surf and turf kind of living! And often it still feels like I'm dreaming.
Then I pinch myself and it hurts, so it's clear that this is all so very real........
There is a always a second Local skipper on board as crew |
