Personal Childhood Web

Growing up there was definitely people who had both positive and negative influences in my life.  I will discuss the positive ones starting with my parents.  They were both extremely hard workers themselves and for the most part successfully self-employed.  With any business this comes with drive, hard work and dedication.  Well for a child in this household it meant lots of responsibilities, hence lots of chores.  They were especially strict about obtaining academic success and pursuing your dreams.  I think I was only 10 years old when I knew what my future career was going to be and from that time on working at Woods Hole Oceanographic was my main goal.  I would not have achieved this without my parents drive to achieve as support.  My grandparents played a very  supportive and loving role in my childhood.  We used to spend weekends with them and we would have popcorn and watch TV and go for long rides one sundays and they always treated us to either a candy bar or ice cream sundae.  I think one of my fondest memories was how my Vo used to tuck us into bed and stay up until she knew we were fast asleep.  She would tell these stories over and over again and every time they would get funnier.  What used to make me laugh was how her hands would be going throughout the story, if you have ever met a full portuguese woman, you would understand.  And then my grandfather would always say "Geez Mary, how many times are you going to tell that story!" And she would start muttering words in portuguese and you knew she was mad.  It was like a 50's sitcom!