Having been brought up in the small community of Farmington, CT, eventually ending up in Tucson, AZ, in 2001 has been quite an adventure.  From Farmington to Tucson to Phoenix to Boston to Minneapolis to Austin, TX, to St. Thomas in the U.S.V.I. back to Austin and now in Tucson, I’ve had the good fortune to experience many different places and the life styles in that part of the country. Tucson nears the top of the list of great places to live with one major missing feature … water for racing sailboats!

Yes, my passion is sailing and beaches and anything to do with water. How did I end up in Tucson? A long story! So, for now, I travel to regattas all over the country when time permits and either borrow a Sunfish to sail or tow my own. As a member of the Austin Yacht Club in Austin, TX, I raced against some of the best sailors in the world in both a J-22 and Sunfish. When I wasn’t racing or working on my boat, I was helping out with anything and everything required to operate this 100% “volunteer” club from doing race committee to serving on the Board of Directors to acting as editor of the monthly publication to chairing regattas and social events to chairing an Olympic Fundraising Campaign. The only task I never got to experience was drive the club tractor! I sold the J-22 before moving to Tucson but have kept my Sunfish. In January 2009 I was totally blown away after being awarded an Honorary Life Membership for my years of service to the Austin Yacht Club – an honor I shall treasure every day of my life.

Sailing adventures weren’t limited to racing J-22’s or Sunfish, however.  In November 1984, we were anchored in Salt Pond Bay, St. John’s, on a Morgan 38 when Hurricane Klaus, with peak winds reaching 90 mph, hit. That was a 30-hour experience I will never forget and verifies a claim I proudly make that I am indeed a survivor.  When the sun came up the next morning with the eye of the storm yet to pass, we saw that we were now the sole boat in the harbor. Every other boat had been washed up on shore or swept high onto the cliffs. Trying to re-anchor to safer waters closer to shore in heavy air and pounding waves tested everything we ever knew about boating, safety and remaining calm despite the danger we faced.

Equally traumatic was Huricane Hugo when it hit the islands in September 1989. We were staying in a condo and had not yet outfitted the Morgan 38 for a long-planned 3-week cruise. Weather reports indicated we might want to rethink our plans, and we’re glad we did. Instead of a relaxing 3-week cruise, we spent the next month clearing debris and helped organize work parties to clear the roads for emergency vehicles and helped condo dwellers fix what could be fixed so that they had some place to sleep.  The island was totally devastated. What was green and blooming with fragrant flowers one day was stripped to bare dirt and grime the next. Telephone poles were speared through car windows. Condo complexes were ripped open like sardine cans and looked like a child’s dollhouse. Boats of all sizes were strewn all over the streets along the harbors with some boats picked up and placed high in mangrove trees – our Morgan 38 included. 180+ mph winds have no mercy. The island eventually recovered (us too) and St. Thomas once again became the special paradise that vacationers return to year after year.

But I have other passions too. The University of Arizona Wildcats are certainly one! Even though I graduated from the University of Minnesota (BA in Journalism) and still have strong Connecticut ties which give me the UCONN Huskies to cheer for too, I cheer the loudest for the Wildcats. It’s the Tucson community “spirit” that inspires my passion for the Wildcats. Well, that and my Mom who is more knowledgeable about Wildcat sports than anyone I know. She is truly a U of AZ “fan-atic!”

There’s another part of me that never goes away, however – the most important part of me.  I shine the brightest when helping others achieve success or help them reach a dream.  As the program administrator of a teaching/training organization for business professionals at the University of Texas in Austin, I focused my attention on Leadership, Setting Goals and Customer Service. To continue my teaching/education focus after moving to Tucson, I became the manager of education & training at Long Realty which has been the most valuable experience in bettering me as a real estate professional. Whether sailing, teaching business professionals or REALTORs, coaching girls’ softball or just being a Mom, helping others succeed or reach their dream brings me the greatest joy.

“Your dream matters” is more than a motto; it’s who I am and who I strive to be in everything I do.