Ian & Vivienne

This week in the RV, Ian brings his mum Vivienne on board and learns about the things that make her tick. Coincidentally, she’s working on her own memoirs so these topics were fresh in her mind. She talks about the things that made her into the very structured style of go-with-the-flow that she seems to have become now, which began at an early age. Because her parents worked in the foreign office abroad in Lebanon, and subsequently sent her away to boarding school as a 12 year old girl, Vivienne was responsible for her own happiness at an age when it was a big expectation of a person. But she learned how to actually be able to rely on herself, which is a trait she carried on and passed along.

Then we hear about her legendary days doing her own thing, like racing a 2000 Horsepower 32ft. Phantom Powerboat (and flipping it), working in restaurants rather than join her parents in the foreign office, and meeting “Just another American” while working at a rental car company, who ended up being Ian’s dad!

After briefly touching on homeschooling, Vivienne pontificates about how she’s been able to balance the need for structure in a lot of aspects of life, with the inevitable need to just go-with-the-flow. Rebelling against the social norm in very healthy ways, because everything happens for a reason. And ultimately, her secret to a successful life and family was to dedicate her life to her family, like it was her job, and to do what worked best for them, and ultimately her. Because that's what she was good at! And boy was she! Enjoy this very special Mother’s Day episode of Earthship Radio.