I Took A Year And A Half Off

Divorced at the age of 43, I was riding up in the elevator to my 11th floor office when I clearly heard a voice say: “If you continue going to this job, your soul will curl up and die.” I absolutely knew the truth of that as I had outgrown the job. Soon, I quit the job and I moved to the Fiji Islands. I had a small monthly income, but I knew that our dollar was very strong in Fiji. I sold my car to purchase my round-trip airline ticket. I had begun doing some free-lance writing and photography so I believed that I could move to Fiji and write articles about the culture.

It was the best thing I could have done for myself, although my friends thought I was crazy to leave with such a small amount of money and to give up the ‘security’ of my job. I felt stifled by my job and also every where I went, there was a reminder of the life I had with my ex-husband. When I got on the plane, I reminded myself that I was saddened by being a new divorcee. But during that long flight, I reinvented myself. I knew that I would never again tell anyone that I had been recently divorced.

I did supplement my small income by writing many articles during my stay in Fiji. I took up scuba diving to conquer my fear of putting my head under water. I even made night dives although I am claustrophobic. And talk about being able to put my head under water--I made one 90 foot dive! It was awesome!

As I furthered my new career as a Travel Journalist, I was able to meet many interesting people including a wonderful man with whom I have maintained an ongoing friendship for many years. In the early stages of our romantic interlude, we ended up traveling the world together, but not until my six-month stay in Fiji came to an end. For the following year, I moved to Perth, Western Australia to obtain a Press Pass and to participate in the America’s Cup Yacht Races which were celebrated for the first time outside of the United States. That was a year of thrills and excitement where I was able to mingle with the likes of Walter and Betsy Cronkite and many of the worlds’ top journalists. In Perth I became co-publisher of a magazine called Buying The Best which allowed me to mix and mingle with all who were there to promote and celebrate this huge event. We flew on helicopters, went out on cruise ships and yachts and sailboats all the while sipping champagne and eating caviar!

Any drawbacks? Yes, eventually the thrill of the America’s Cup ended when Dennis Conner took the cup back to America. I returned to Sacramento. And, yes, I still had to face the sadness of my former life in Sacramento. But, I wouldn’t change a thing about my year and half abroad. It’s another story, but after I published my magazine in Carmel for five years, I sold it and moved to Paris!