About

My name is Rebecca Lynn Self, and since December 1999 I can put a Ph.D. after that. If you’re Googling, I am not the Rebecca Self who sells real estate in Monterey, the Rebecca Self proclaimed a princess on MySpace, or the Rebecca Self in Alabama who speaks Klingon and has a Starfleet designation.

That last one makes me laugh just a little every time I read it.

I mean no disrespect; Star Trek is great.

This is my personal blog about life as an American expat in Lugano, Switzerland with an unusually large dog, Mufasa. It started as a way to stay in touch with friends and family when Mufasa and I took to the open road.  We’ve been across North America and Europe together, Mufasa and I.  We packed the car and took off when life as we knew it came to an end in 2004. Before that, I was a stepmom living in suburban Colorado.  A lot has happened since then.  It was all very Under the Tuscan Sun.

People keep asking questions like, “How did you figure out how to move to Lugano, Switzerland?” and “Where do you find good deals on travel?”  “What are your favorite places to visit?” “What was India like?” When thirteen women-friends from around the world gathered in Tuscany last May they asked, ”How did you find this villa?!”  All the secret stuff is here.

What I want you to know is anyone can have this kind of life.  It was simple, really.  Don’t let thoughts like, “I can’t because I have kids…” or “I don’t have enough money…” or “I don’t have a Ph.D. like you…” stop you.  Whether you’re reading late at night after the kids are tucked in or you’re sitting at your desk planning your next journey, please do drop a line.  I’d love to share the ride with you.

Before our recent high school reunion, a former classmate asked, “What do you do exactly?”

I teach, train and coach. I taught Media Law, Media and Politics, Public Opinion, PR, Media Ethics (not an oxymoron at all) and Communication History in University Journalism departments for twelve years. For corporate clients I design and deliver training and executive and group coaching.  Clients have included: Volvo Cars, SwissRe, TD Ameritrade, AP Moller Maersk, Nokia Siemens Networks, SafMarine, StorageTek and Avaya. (see TNM Coaching for more…)

I write.  That has taken many forms.  I’ve worked in television and written for several regional and trade magazines, a new media think tank, academic publications and corporate clients.

When I’m at my best, I inspire. Nothing makes me happier than emails like this or notes like that.

I connect people a lot, too, through personal introductions and organizing events like the European Summit for Global Transformation. What a gathering!

Maybe I’m the quintessential Gen-Xer, I don’t know. What I do know is I’m living my own little Under the Tuscan Sunevery day.  It was a tumultuous journey that led yet another mid-thirties American divorcée to live alone in southern Europe. The road was bumpy but hilarious, and sometimes hysterical not in a funny but more like an uncontrolled crying kind of way. Nothing a side trip to a good Swiss chocolate factory couldn’t cure. 72% bittersweet is my drug of choice.

Anything is possible, and a lot of it happens on a daily basis. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Oh!  And here’s the more standard bio info, if you’re interested.