Wendy Hawkes seemed destine for a gypsy life, growing up on and off US Army bases thanks to her physical therapist-colonel father plus a passion for dance inspired by her most influential instructor, her mom. As a professional dancer Wendy traveled the world, visiting numerous countries across four continents. But she retired from the stage at 25 and had to figure out what else she wanted to be when she grew up. She parlayed her entertainment industry expertise and connections into film and television—production managing commercials and associate producing TV comedy specials, even copywriting for a children’s book app company—always utilizing the writing and administration skills her parents encouraged “as a backup plan between dance gigs.”
The minute the kids were off to college, she and her husband set their sights on living abroad in the islands. Just as they began to settle into the community of Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco, in the Bahamas, catastrophic Category 5 Hurricane Dorian hit in September 2019. And they couldn’t get off the island in time.
Now Wendy satisfies her travel bug at sea, cruising the islands and eastern US full time aboard her power catamaran floating home with her British-born husband and their Schefflera “Moneypenny.”
When not doing boat chores (which is practically all the time), diving or snorkeling (which never seems to be often enough), or exploring a tropical island (because…travel!), Wendy evokes her love of language and sorts out her musings, finally devoting time to creative writing. Wendy is a member of the National Association of Memoir Writers and has been published in Insider magazine. Check out the Work in Progress page for more on her upcoming hurricane memoir.
