about.
In the mid 80s I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting and modeling.
I remember someone saying find something you like to do and figure out a way to make money at it. And so I did.
The thing was I just wanted to travel. I wanted to see the world—always! It seemed like people around me were dying way too young without ever experiencing what life had to offer.
I would hear about models traveling to exotic locations to shoot and I would look at the photos in magazines and think wow that location is beautiful! And I thought, well I can do that! (Confident I know . . .)
I decided I would go to LA to work as a model and actress and if it didn’t pan out well, then I would be back to square one but I was not going to have a secondary job like so many others did when they got there. My goals for myself needed to be exactly what I was going for and I wasn’t going to settle for less than my own goal. So off I went and within the first week I was signed up with Playboy Models and going out on castings.
I never really cared much about actually being an actress or becoming famous because sitting around on set doing one liners didn’t thrill me. It was just a bunch of hurry up and wait. For me it was about the money I would make doing print work and commercials and of course the travel. Kind of like how to travel the world for free!
Over the years I did jobs from pinup posters, beer ads, Playboy covers, calendars to TV and convention work.
Then there was the Super Bowl Miller Lite commercial plus commercials for 7UP, Suzuki, Starburst—the list goes on. The important part here is this: not only did my work pay the bills, I was also sent off to different locations in the US and overseas. I was traveling the world and getting paid for it!
Then, in 1997, I became the host of American Thunder, one of the longest running motorcycle shows on TV.
I ended up having a huge cult following in the motorcycle industry and great support from the motorcycle community. Both male and female bikers came out and supported me at my personal appearances and charity rides for events across the US and Canada! We had some very good times! Memorable times. I’m grateful to the motorcycle community for being such incredible fans and supporters and for being such an important part of my life and career.
But it was during the pandemic, when we were all locked up in our homes
with nothing much else to do, as I sat here in my south Florida home with my two little dogs that I started to look back on my life and reflect on some of the beautiful experiences I’ve had.
I thought, how is it that I did all of these wonderful things in my life so young as if I lived my life in fast forward? I remembered the year I turned 50 I had looked around and I said to myself: is this it? What’s left? I did so much already! And here I was at 59 with more travel under my belt thinking quite the opposite: well hey I’m almost 60 and there's still a hell of a lot I’ve got to say and do!
Since I had been told many times I should write a book well, that’s what I decided I needed to do—tell my stories AND get back out in the world and travel again!
If I have learned one thing through my travels it’s that you will never truly know anything about another culture unless you have lived it yourself if only for a week or even a day . . .
I believe traveling is a great experience for children.
I believe you should go live your life and learn what school can’t teach you.
I believe you can and should travel on your own!
I believe you should not postpone your travels while you wait for someone else to make the decision if they want to go with you or not—just get up and get out.
And I also believe that the Champagne tastes better in France!