The Next Chapter of My Journey

The next chapter of my journey dates back to 1982. We moved to New York City for my husband’s work. Even though I grew up in a pretty big city and had lived in Los Angeles for 10 years, Manhattan was a complete shock. On our first day there, someone broke into our car. Welcome to our new home!

We rented an apartment in doctors’ housing. When I opened the door, I found a giant pile of dirt and debris on the floor. The view from the 9th floor might have been nice—if the windows weren’t too dirty to see out of. I burst into tears. I wanted to go home.

My husband and I rolled up our sleeves and got to work cleaning, sweeping, and scrubbing our little studio apartment. The only “extra room” was the bathroom. The kitchen was just a small section of the wall with a few cabinets, a tiny fridge, and a two-burner stove.

We decided to make it ours. I went to the store, bought paint, picked up some rug remnants for the floors, and found cute wallpaper for one wall. We transformed that dirty little space into a cozy home. Eventually, I grew to love New York and everything it had to offer.

While we were there, I completed all but one of my interior design courses at the New York School of Design.

And Baby Makes Three!

Then, surprise! I found out I was pregnant. Our tiny studio apartment, barely big enough for two, now had to fit a crib and a changing table. The bathtub became extra storage, filled with blankets so that one of us could occasionally sleep there. Raising a baby in New York City was challenging.

I had to walk to the store and carry groceries home—rain, snow, or shine. Since money was tight, we had to stretch every dollar. Sometimes, we had groceries delivered, but everything in New York was expensive. I’ll never forget the one time I tried pushing the baby in a stroller through pouring rain. That was enough!

Luckily, after a few months, we upgraded to a one-bedroom apartment. The living room became the nursery, and life felt a little easier.

San Diego, Here we Come!

After two years, my journey landed us in the San Diego area. We bought our first house with help from my parents. About a year later, I delivered my beautiful son. Around the same time, I started an interior design business with a friend. While I learned a lot, dealing with difficult clients made it hard to stay profitable.

Soon after, we moved to nearby Poway, and my path took a surprising turn—I entered the world of politics.

I joined a large civic association and became a board member. I also served on the board of our local ecological reserve. Through this work, I helped our mayor campaign for a seat in the State Assembly. Along the way, he asked me to run for an open seat on the city council.

At first, I couldn’t believe it—“Who, me?” But they convinced me to do it. I campaigned tirelessly, walking to every door I could. By the end, I was completely exhausted, but I won!

As a councilmember, I focused on protecting the environment. This was the initial seed for Eco Nana. I continued my work with our ecological reserve and a San Diego County preserve within our city. This put me at odds with developers, especially when I fought to block a water park, a large amphitheater, and oversized housing projects. After four years of constant battles and even developing an ulcer, I realized I’d be much happier working behind the scenes.

That’s when I became Deputy Campaign Manager for Congressman Bob Filner. While he was a strong advocate for his district, he was not an easy boss. My first warning sign? I used a small paperclip on some documents, and he yelled at me: “Never use small paper clips! Always use large ones!” Unfortunately, his behavior only got worse, and I was eventually fired over something I was never even told about.

Years later, he resigned as Mayor of San Diego after being accused of sexually harassing 19 women. While I wasn’t one of his victims in that sense, I did experience his verbal abuse.

So, what’s next? I discovered a love for the law and earned my paralegal certificate at UCSB.

How many careers have I had so far?
My journey continues…stay tuned here!