Precerpt: In with the East Wind: A Mary Poppins Kind of Life - Introduction

 

Introduction

I grew up barefoot and suntanned on a farm in rural Acton, Maine. Now, basking in the sunshine of San Juan Bautista, California, 3,000 miles from those roots and 75 years beyond my time in New England, I find no singular thread defining my life. No grand design guided my path—only the constant pull of urgent voices asking, Can you come help us? And so, I went. I packed my bags, boarded planes, crossed borders, and stepped into roles I had never planned but never hesitated to fill.

Unlike those who chase opportunity, I responded to it. I taught teachers in Brazil, rescued a dying child in Siberia, brokered school exchanges between Minsk (Belarus) and Portland (Oregon, USA), trained astronauts and cosmonauts in Houston (USA) and in Star City (Russia). I set up university translation programs in Moldova, guided Turkmen diplomats, advised Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Social Justice. Each place offered a distinct challenge, and I shaped myself around its needs, learning as much as I taught, giving as much as I received. 

Some places became familiar—Russia called me back time and again. I studied in graduate school linguistics courses at the University of Moscow, earned my PhD at the Pushkin Institute, and conducted research at the USSR Academy of Sciences' Institute of Philology, Philosophy, and History when it was still a unified entity. Elsewhere, my time was brief but profound, leaving me changed in ways I couldn’t always anticipate. What lasted beyond each journey were friendships—some stretching across decades, carried forward through letters, visits, and the shared imprint of lives intertwined.

Along the way, I served as mentor, informal (and formal) translator and interpreter, editor--and I held down a more stable jobs as a US Army officer, training supervisor at the US Department of State, and, for various universities, professor, program & center founder, chief academic officer, and, finally, provost. At the end of it all, I consider myself a veteran--of the US military and of the Cold War (having spent much time in the USSR)--a cultural chameleon, an intrepid traveler, a survivor (of some the strangest things that life can throw one's way), and the world's dedicated servant.  

How does one organize a life spent in 26 countries over 7 ½ decades? No structure fully captures the fluidity of my movements, but books demand order. I chose a method that serves both narrative and practicality—an alphabetical journey through the places that shaped me. Beginning with Acton, Maine, the unlikely origin of a life spent abroad, this memoir unfolds through nations and cities, presenting a body of work woven not by intention but by serendipity.

Like Mary Poppins, I drifted in with the East Wind, answering calls, fulfilling tasks, uncovering unexpected lessons. When the work was done, the West Wind carried me home to California until the next call arrived. Across multiple volumes, I share the story of these places—the challenges met, the lessons learned, and the friendships formed along the way.

From the forthcoming book:

In with the East Wind...A Mary Poppins Kind of Life
Volume 1: ABC Lands

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for more posts by and about Betty Lou Leaver, click HERE.

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