Lynnea Raphael

Being born in Mobile, Alabama is such a plus in my life. Not because I have learned from being so very different than most of my family and friends through the years but because I grew up so quietly in love with nature. I went to university in Texas and studied Elementary Education and English. At the time, I thought I would be in the business part of the Education world. I soon found that I was a business person - pure and simple. I always thrived in being a strong number 2 in the company I worked for. The titles may have been different (administrative assistant, office manager, licensed assistant, etc) but the true position was generically the same. I enjoy knowing the whole business, keeping the office and staff in order, and making sure the executive/owner of the company is able to perform their job with little interference from the daily rites and rituals of the business operations. Early in my adult life, I prioritized travel. Somehow I knew that traveling, exploring, and safely moving around our planet would not be so easy later in my life. This illusion of "retirement" would be harder to enjoy when I was older. And so travel I did.....and I've enjoyed so many different people, cultures, and geographies. This world is a wondrous place and I am thankful that I've had the chance to explore and appreciate it. I now live back in the town I was born in. My father died over a decade ago and my mother was in need of family close by. My wonderful husband, C.C. and I were able to move his business and my "next job after my company retired" aspirations to Mobile, Alabama. My hope is that the next chapter of my life allows me to gracefully appreciate and serve my aging mother. And that I find a professional that utilizes all that I am - all the experiences I have learned and integrated called into service. In summary, I am a Southerner - born and raised. And yet I know that I am also a Citizen of this World. I see people for who they are. And I appreciate the life I chose that brought me to this place in my life. I am grateful for the opportunity to create this brief biography of my life.