Stories of My Life

This memoir takes you on an adventure that starts with Ramona's early childhood in Berlin, then on to a magical childhood in the forests of the Palatine, followed by years as a homeless war refugee, until she eventually finds a home in Egypt. In Cairo, she falls in love with the Egyptian culture, discovers the joys of horseback riding through the Sahara desert, and becomes a champion swimmer. After attending the Academy of Art in Cairo, she travels across the world to attend the University of Georgia on a Rotary scholarship, followed by four years of art studies in Germany. Ramona then moves to Kenya, where she meets her husband, Alex, and begins her career as an artist, exhibiting her paintings and gaining international recognition. Ramona and Alex then move to the North Shore of Chicago where she spends many years teaching art at Lake Forest College and continuing to flourish as an artist. Many of her journeys during this time are spiritual as Ramona begins to study yoga. Retirement brings her back to the desert, but this time it is the arid beauty of Santa Fe. Ramona's tales of her many experiences are interspersed with her keen observations and insightful commentary on the many different cultures she lives in and comes to know.