A Q&A with the Author
- Where did you grow up /live now? What is your
education/career background?
Both my parents were raised in
large, tight-knit Italian-American families in New York. After they got married, when the United
States entered the Vietnam War, and the Draft began, my father signed up to
serve with the U.S. Navy as a doctor. So right before I was born, my mom and
dad were given orders to report to the U.S. Naval Base in Orlando, Florida. And
on December 1, 1969, my dad said that I arrived at the U.S. Naval Hospital
singing like a joyful and loud nun in the Sunday choir.
We stayed in Orlando for the two
years that my father completed his military service, then my mom, older sister
Mary, and I returned to Yonkers, New York, where my dad could finish his
residency at Bellevue Hospital in cardiology. Upon completion, one of my dad’s
mentors in the Navy invited him to join a cardiology practice in Orlando—we all
returned, this time with the addition of my little sister Aimee as well. So,
from 3 years old until I went to Boston College at 18, that is where I grew up.
Because I applied to the American
Field Service as an exchange student, I lived in Bucaramanga, Colombia, South
America, during the summer before my senior year in high school. Falling in love with Latin culture, the
music—merengue, salsa, cumbia, vallenato—and learning Spanish, I chose to
continue studying romance languages in college to open up communication with
more people. At Boston College, I
traveled to Mexico, spent my junior semester abroad in Rome, Italy, and went on
two mission trips: to Guayaquil, Ecuador, and Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic.
Graduating with a B.A. in
Spanish/Italian, and not knowing what else to do, I applied to law school.
Because there was a recession, there was an increase in applications for
professional schools. After being waitlisted, when I did not get in, I decided
to return to Orlando to figure out my next step—I took a GAP year in the 90s
before it was even a thing.
Not really focused on a particular
career path, after working in an office as an assistant, then as a translator
and interpreter for international conferences, I decided to go back to school at
UCF to take the pre-requisites to get my M.A. in International Studies. When I
got into the Graduate Program at the University of Miami in 1992, I moved to
Brickell Key and never left—I finally felt like I was home. Even after Hurricane Andrew blew through not
even two weeks after I moved all my earthly belongings into my one-bedroom
condo in Brickell Key II near downtown Miami and had to evacuate, I returned
with my dog Alfredo Luigi. I fell in love with this big International city, the
tropical feel, the dominant Latin culture, the wonderfully diverse people, and
stayed. After receiving my J.D. in 1997, I married a fellow law school
classmate who was also an Italian-American.
I worked for the federal government as an immigration trial attorney for
nearly 20 years, raised two awesome kids, and built a wonderful life in
Miami—Miami is a significant part of my story in that this place has helped me
become the passionate creative that I am today.
- Where/When do you best like to write?
I am creative. For me, writing,
drawing, and singing have always been necessary therapeutic outlets. As a kid, I would carry a journal with me
wherever I went to jot down my ideas, emote on the page, organize myself, and
sketch. As an adult with many roles and responsibilities, I had to get
intentional to be creative. As a Julia Cameron's Artist Way student, I love to
begin my day writing my morning pages, three pages longhand, stream of
consciousness writing that clears your head. Knowing that it only takes 20
minutes a day to give a story life, I schedule that into my life while riding
my stationary bike every morning. This exercise is an active meditation for me.
It allows me the opportunity to do something healthy for my body and my mind.
And, when a story or writing piece grips me, I will stay up all hours into the
night, capturing its essence and bringing it to life on the computer screen or
longhand on paper.
In the end, I love dancing with
different languages, words, music, innovation, creation, and beauty. Writing
has allowed me to be vulnerable, sharing my story with others while infusing
more joy, fun, and creativity into my life. For years, living up to other
people's expectations and basing my worth upon the opinion of other people left
me feeling empty. Writing empowered me to decide that I was tired of suffering;
I made an active choice to follow my bliss and see where that would take me
with happiness as the ultimate goal. So, whenever I get a chance, I make time
to write more.
3.
Is there a message/theme in your book
that you want readers to grasp?
When I was moving through grief, I promised that I would keep
going to share a better story for my life, healing myself and in service to
others. The metamorphosis of the butterfly and the guidance of the lighthouse
were symbols that stood foremost in my mind. Never giving up in this life,
doing the hard things that surround transformation, and in the end embracing
your inner beauty—not needing approval or permission from others to be here. I
want other people to honestly know that there is always light, even in the
darkness and that they are more than enough just as they are.
- What was one of the most surprising things
you learned in creating your book?
There are so many synchronicities
in life. Living my story was amazing. Getting it out there has been even more
amazing—meeting and collaborating with so many creative people. I have learned
so much and continue to learn every day—the learning curve is steep.
- Who are some of your favorite authors?
Paulo Coelho, Liz Gilbert, Neville
Goddard, Suzanne Simonetti, & Leslie Rasmussen
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