I was born and grew up in an agricultural greenbelt near the famous Rio Grande, in New Mexico, in an area known as the North Valley due to its many orchards, alfalfa fields, ditches and vineyards.
From this land of pine trees, craggy volcanoes, red sandstone and turquoise skies with endless horizons, I developed an awareness of the majesty of nature, wildlife and the environment. In fact, the fabric of my life is interwoven with the elegant beauty of nature and the simple innocence of creatures around me. I’m an animal lover–a rescuer of injured birds, lost dogs, abandoned cats, a lost desert turtle and a baby squirrel drowning in a tropical rain storm. Some of my best friends in my lifetime have been my pets.
I learned to speak Spanish from my grandparents before English. I grew up bilingual and am easily able to learn other languages. I also speak French, Mandarin Chinese and a bit of Russian. (I tried to learn Polish, but didn’t get far.) I also know some words/phrases in Japanese, Cantonese, Korean and German.
I have sought out opportunities to work with people of different cultures and in different countries. And, I’ve lived in Hong Kong, Beijing, Nuremberg, California, Florida and now Washington, D.C.
As someone who likes adventure, I have traveled to many cities throughout U.S. and in Italy, Switzerland, France, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand.
I studied film as an art form in college, know screenwriting and have produced videos and written scripts. (Some videos won national awards.) I’ve always been an avid film buff, foreign films mainly.
I put myself through college, ended a very brief (and very bad) marriage, wrote/passed an anti-stalking/harassment law and single-handedly raised from infancy a wonderful and talented daughter Zita Ballinger Fletcher (pen name Zita Steele.)
I enjoy volunteering and have done so for many years. I have helped battered women, taught classes to kids, mentored aspiring journalists, and served on various boards, including a State Bar Association. Currently, I serve on the board of a historical organization, and I’m am an officer in a local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Like most creative people, I have no shortage of ideas for things. This has served me well in my profession as a journalist/author and in my personal life.
My life has been a series of diagonal paths leading to new adventures – which is just the way I like it!