Thanksgiving weekend in Philadelphia was just great - delicious food, lots of laughs, local friends and people traveling in from various parts of the country for Karen's annual Thanksgiving party, which was certainly a nod to her hostess abilities. I've known Karen since college so was part of original Thanksgiving celebrations when we both lived in New York. Karen now lives in Philadelphia, in a area called Society Hill, a very pretty and walkable neighborhood where you could almost hear the clap clap clap of horses on the cobblestone streets from years past. Karen lives in a Colonial rowhouse built in 1790 and with a house full of guests staying there, the weekend had a cozy ski house feel too. (I happen to love everyone in PJs having coffee and breakfast together; my contribution was Acai Bowls with cornflakes Thanksgiving morning).
One of my favorite parts of the weekend was going to yoga with Karen on Thanksgiving Day and the day after, and our half hour walk to each location. I hadn't seen Karen since a girls weekend at my beach cottage in San Clemente two years ago and since then Karen has gone thru a divorce, left a long career in investment banking, reunited with her high school boyfriend and long time love and has gone on a few trips both internationally and domestically. She claims to be 'on sabbatical' (and is leaving again for travels this month) though she has recently invested in a wonderful new restaurant and has already started to get involved with a micro-finance project, a dream that's been in her heart for a few years. Certainly I know the past several months have come with some low points but it was wonderful to see seeds of the new life she's beginning to create from the ashes of the old.
I always thought Karen must have been a terrific banker because she was so passionate talking about some of the entrepreneurs she worked with. Maybe the 'heart factor' isn't what clients typically look for when they hire investment banks but it seems to me that you'd want to work with people who aren't just going to help you finance your business but actually care about if that business succeeds, beyond 'the deal' alone. I think when her travels are over, that energy is going to be challenged into other meaningful projects, that will also be an instrument of some positive change (which may involve more travel!).
For Karen, and a couple others I care about who seem on the cusp of something new, I'm just waiting to see what will next unfold.
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