I’m doing it now: RETIREMENT! I had two careers: 1) USAF - went in to avoid Vietnam, but serve my country. Thought I’d get out in the minimum four years. Was stationed in the Philippines at 3.2 years into my enlistment. Loved it so much I stayed in the PI for 5+ years and decided to become a “lifer” (≥20 years). Within 3-months of returning to the US, knew it wasn’t for me. Discharged at 8.3 years. 2) After graduating UC Berkeley in Biology (and a woefully-too-short semi-career in the US Park Service), landed a job at Genentech, Inc., which became the most rewarding thing I’d ever done. 19 years, 5 months later I retired, which is the ABSOLUTE most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. and unlike Kryssi, but like my father, I’ve never, ever grown up.

My story is probably like many women of our generation. In HS in the early 60s the choices were pretty much teacher, nurse, secretary ( and for Catholic School girls … the nunnary ! ), we were not encouraged to try anything else. ” Get a nice little job that you can do until you find a man and get married” I was always drawing pictures, took every art class available and had the dream of going to Rhode Island School of Design … not going to happen ! First, my parents saw definite signs of “hippie-ness” showing in me, and , more pervasive, I learned much later that the nuns were very discouraging of anything but Catholic Schools and would not send good letters of recommendation to “those ” schools. So I went to a nice catholic woman’s college and became a first grade and art teacher. And, like so many friends, got engaged senior year ( if not, you would “be on the shelf” forever ) got married, worked a few years until I had my children and then stayed home. But, ahh, the story does not end there. My mother would come and babysit one day a week so i could get out to take a class, and after a few crafty ones ( cake decorating etc. ) I discovered calligraphy and knew I had found what i was meant to do. I’ve now been a working calligrapher and wedding designer for 30 years, formed a local Guild, been involved in all kind of fun, interesting projects, and best of all, work from my home, which gives me the opportunity to stay involved in the schools and community The only down side for a “chatty Cathy” like me is the hours in my studio working alone, but ALAS ! along comes wOw and I have endless hours of conversation to check in on when I take breaks !!