Dates: 1981 – Present
The Story
“What I heard, I forgot; What I saw, I remembered; but what I experienced became a part of me for the rest of my life!” – author unknown
When I was five years old my dad sat me down to teach me the importance of saving. He said for every Dollar I earned he would match it if I put it in my savings account. The only caveat was that I could only use it to travel. In 1977 this was quite a unique offer. I saved all I could manage — money I earned from chores, babysitting and mowing the lawn. By 1981, I had saved $660 and bought my first plane ticket to spend the summer with an exchange family in Italy. I was 13 years old. A whole new world opened to me. I was in awe of boarding a plane and landing in a country with a different language and culture, all by myself. When I returned to the 8th grade later that year, I decided to start learning Spanish, the closest language to Italian. This experience at a young age changed my life forever. I learned the importance of saving, earning the trust of my parents and being responsible for myself — but most of all, I learned I loved being international.
The Impact
I have spent over 15 years as a student and professional expatriate around the world. I have been to 52 countries and I am just getting started. To date, I have learned that my skill set must be top notch to compete globally, but ultimately my language capabilities and my sincere interest to learn about and integrate with other cultures are the primary contributors to my success abroad. I am a risk taker. One of my favorite things is to be dropped off in a foreign village and ‘figure it out’. I relish meeting locals and forging connections around the globe. I have also applied my quest for adventure to other parts of my life. I love hiking and climbing mountains in the US and around the world, venturing into the unknown, trekking, boating and taking a proactive approach to life. When I came back to Seattle in 2007 after being abroad for a combined 15 years, I was having a hard time adapting back to the US. It was during this period that one of my managers offered me an observation. He said, “You know, Heather, you are great with clients and management consulting — perhaps because each client is like a new country with its own culture, language and environment.” I had never thought of it that way, but it resonated with me to my core. There is so much more to learn and explore in the world and I cannot wait for what lies ahead!
