Carrie Hertz:
CLASS OF 1975
Maine South High SchoolClass of 1975
Park ridge, IL
Carrie's Story
July 2014 - More of the same, sort of... I am spending part of each year in Bucks County, PA and the rest of the year in Mexico. I just may have to admit to myself that I have given up getting another job. I'm 57, so I figure it's okay to just say that I am retired now. Retirement for me doesn't mean doing nothing though. I'm fixing up the PA house to sell and repairing a Cancun fixer-upper condo to live in. That and my artwork keep me busy enough. If I decide that I want to join the workforce again, I'll work for myself. That way, if my boss acts like a jerk, I can cuss myself out and not get fired. Time's flying by but I am still smiling.
May 2012 - Update to below story: Still hanging out in Mexico. Still swimming, walking and playing frisbee. Still not losing any weight because I still drink too much beer and eat too many calories. But I still feel great and, despite the excess pounds - I am healthier and happier than ever. Still don't have a job or a business plan. Still tossing ideas from one side of my brain to the other, hoping to find an idea that just sticks.
Old News: I decided to use only "now" shots for my "now" and "then" pictures (high school is finally soooo behind me now - not that I wouldn't love to hear from old classmates). One picture is from my visits to Mexico and the other is of my time in the States. In Bucks County, I have a super group of artsy friends. We support each other with inspiration and encouragement while we make "stuff" - usually hot glass, but also sculpture, jewelry, pottery and woodworking. In Mexico I am lucky to have my angel, Gabriel, who keeps me safe and helps me deal with any language or cultural differences. When I am there, my focus is on travel, exercise and photography.
If you are wondering about the Mexico thing, here's my story.... After years of defining myself by my work, I got "downsized" right out of the job. Maybe I should have been upset, but I wasn't. Instead, I bought myself airline tickets and headed south of the border. I have been having a great time and I highly recommend it over sitting around and feeling sorry for oneself...Expand for more
. I found that I can look for nonexistent jobs on my computer in Mexico as easily as I can look for the same nonexistent jobs in my hometown. Meanwhile, there is plenty in Mexico to help me keep my spirits up.
I've got a month to month lease on a little apartment in Cancun. When I'm there, I do sunrise walks and swim in the ocean. I walk the golf course, and, when I find abandoned golf balls, I play a round of hand golf. I couldn't hit a ball with a club if you paid me, but I can toss them with amazing accuracy. (The Mexican dude who collects the flags for the course usually leaves the markers in place for me until I finish my "round" - bless his heart!) I recently learned how to play frisbee, and I'm not bad at that either. (Considering that I almost got to do the 5 year plan at Maine because I kept cutting gym class, these new activities impress the heck out of me). I get a great view of the golf course and the lagoon from my terrace and I tend to spend quite a bit of time there hiding from the mid-day heat. I take care of business on the computer and catch up on my reading. Some times I test my hand with my watercolor paints or string together jewelry. Other times I blend up fresh coconut martinis or fruity margaritas, kick back and do nothing ... ah - yum!
A wise friend said to me "This is your time, girl - Take it and do what you want for yourself. " So I am taking time now to align my lifestyle with my priorities. I'll eventually figure out what to do about the job thing, but I know it will have to be something that brings me joy - no more 12 hour days bleeding on the corporate altar for me!
Who knows, maybe one day we will run into each other on the beach in Cancun - if so, do stop and say "hi!", we'll share a couple of cervezas and a sunset! (I've already had a great time doing Karaoke in a Cancun bar with one of our classmates! - Mary Ann, you rock!). If you happen to catch me back home, maybe you will have the time to visit with our "fire bucket' group and spend a day playing with hot glass. Whatever the future holds, I sure hope that your own story is a happy one..
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