I was born near Quakertown, PA. I'm Pennsylvania Dutch (not Amish). I was a main character in school plays, on the girls' basketball team, involved in Girl Scouts since age 8, and grew up in The United Church of Christ. Church camp was an annual "must".
I went to Susquehanna University, a sweet Lutheran University in Selinsgrove, PA, in 1963 ? just when "the 60's" kicked into gear. Kennedy was shot in fall of '63; then, the Beatles came to America in spring of '64. I studied English Literature and Theatre. Taught high school Drama. Got married way too young. Questioned every belief system I ever had. Got divorced. Went to Villanova University for an MA in Theatre. Went to Europe for 4 months in 1970. Joined the Villanova Experimental Theatre Company. Went to Woodstock. Got married again. Became disillusioned with conventional marriage, conventional religion, conventional belief systems. (Please remember: it was the 60's. If you were there, you understand.)
Became interested in Yoga and Meditation and Eastern-style religions. Divorced again. Joined a Yoga Ashram (monastery) in 1973. Studied and taught Yoga and Meditation, traveled to India 5 times. Published a magazine about Yoga in America. Developed an international summer camp for Hindu children. In 1981, I became Director of the Yoga Ashram. Went to Russia on a Peace mission, 1985. Studied and taught about the nature of human consciousness. Began to become restless. Hooked up with Steve, also studying and teaching at the Yoga Ashram.
Times had changed, and so had I. I was ready to leave the Ashram and "seek my fortune" in the "real world". In November of 1988, Steve and I came down to Rockbridge Baths. Our Ashram had purchased a 150-acre farm in the Baths in 1974. I always loved Rockbridge County, and I was instrumental in that purchase. Steve and I decided to live here and start our "new life" together. I was worried about the "together" part, but we have now been together since 1983, and were married in 1991. Next year, we'll have been together 20 years. That's 20 years longer than I imagined.
Our first venture in Rockbridge County was "Paradise", a retail gift shop. Paradise was a hit in the county, but it was too big a stretch for me to go from a 501 C-3 Non-profit religious institution (15 years!) to a successful retailer. We lost the store. Picked ourselves up by the bootstraps, and began a marketing business. Friends got us involved selling marketing tools to Realtors. Our business became very successful when our company, Best Image Marketing, began selling state of the art websites to Top Producing Realtors. Our area was VA, WVA, NC and SC. My husband is a techie to the bone. He thrives on computers and Internet lingo. Computers weren't people enough for me. I got restless again.
We read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kyosaki, a real estate investment guru. We decided to invest in real estate. In the process we both got our licenses in Feb 2001. We are now very happy being a part of Keller Williams Realty! After renting lovely, very lovely homes in all parts of Rockbridge County, Steve and I finally became "homeowners", in 2001, as well. It was a big year for us!
Being a Realtor is a winning combination for me finally. I love every aspect of real estate. I love our beautiful County, helping people in transition in their lives, making "deals" happen, researching information in the bowels of the Court House, strategizing about marketing, writing and negotiating Contracts, fretting over closings and schmoozing with other Realtors. I remember how my father's tales of deer hunting would have us kids mesmerized. Well, I love real estate stories even better.
I'm having a lot of fun. Yes, Real Estate is hard work. But I don't ever remember feeling so "at home" in a career, or in a community. Perhaps, at my age it's finally "my time" to settle down and get conventional. Nah...
