My life has not been terribly ordinary, and I guess I am pretty grateful for that. I have been waltzing around the planet for years now, trying not to listen to all the people who insist that I ought to settle down. Sometimes it takes a lot of work to remember that a life lived in the pursuit of joy is just as valid (or more!) than a life lived in the pursuit of money. While looking for a job recently, I realized how much of my strange life I try to hide, so that I seem more "normal". And then I decided, to hell with that!  My life has been gorgeous, and I am proud of what I have lived, even if it looks a little weird on a resume.  So, in defiance to the establishment, I made a resume that listed some of the things that I am most proud of - adventures, joys, tragedies endured, and little moments that just made me feel alive. Enjoy! Click on the links to read the full stories.

 Kat O’Sullivan
“Child of Grace, where hast thou fallen from?” - Sister Elizabeth.
“Life does not surprise Kat. Kat surprises life” - Asha from Poland
“Fellini-esque!” - Some Homeless Guy.

2006 -

Hitchhiked to Timbuktu- Crossed the Sahara Desert, Sailed the Niger River, Navigated the Medina of Marrakesh.  Rode with the Paris-Dakar Rally. Learned how to speak French and how not to speak Arabic. Received countless marriage proposals by men named Mohammed. Had a camel named after me.

 South American Adventures -Repeatedly tear gassed.  Walked 50km all night for Jesus. Hitchhiked to Bogota to meet rock star idol. Got attacked by 20 dogs (cool scar). Salsa danced like crazy. Did lots of art. Disrupted soccer game because goalie was checking me out and the other team scored.

 Turned 30 - e gads.

 2005

Sailed down the Amazon (again!) - Lived in the jungle. Learned (so-so) Portuguese. Tested limits of my patience with *eccentric* traveling companions. Hitchhiked through Brazil and caught a bad fever. Briefly had a pet monkey

 Summer in New York - Became proud Owner of a 1979 convertible VW Bug. Discovered no talents in repairing VWs. Grew Sunflowers. Did lots of Yoga. Worked on a Boat. Broke my tailbone in a mosh pit. Informed that some band used my photo on their album cover. Ran off to Ireland.

2004

Sailed down the Amazon (Part I) - Logged record breaking hours in hammock, sailing from Ecuador to Brazil. Partied with the trannies at Carnavale.  Mugged by a band of kids with machetes in Copacabana. Inspired a stranger to blow me a kiss, and then walk into a STOP sign and fall on his ass. Was Finally told “I Love you” on Valentines Day....by a parrot!

 Cusco , Peru- Worked for a month at a Cerebral Palsy Clinic. Got beat at Chess. Never bothered going to Machu Picchu.

 Summered in the Hamptons - Worked as a Yachty.  Duties included: cooking, sailing, maintenance, and trying not to let my expressions betray the utter contempt I felt towards my employer.  Learned yet again the money does not buy Happiness.

 Got hand disfigured at Mexican Punk Rock Show- Learned not to wear Mini-Skirts in Mosh Pits. Spent night in hospital beside a hooker named Peaches. Made no less than 87 phone calls to my insurance agency to rectify the matter, and fell in love with the American health care system all over again.

Returned to Burning Man -  Realized I was over it. Nearly kicked out for assorted infractions, including: Use of a Feather Boa, and Driving an Undesignated Art Car.

2003 -

More South American Adventures -Hitchhiked to Chile with annoying pan-pipe player. Found the house where my grandmother used to live in the 1920’s. Painted lots of murals. Worked as a translator in the jungle. Lived under an active volcano. Watched lava flow down the mountain, and felt in peace.

 New York Jewelry Company - Worked for an obese, agoraphobic, paranoid cat-lady.  Learned the names of hundreds of gemstones. Learned how to make up convincing names for gemstones I did not know.

2002 -

Heart Broken. Cried a lot.

2001

Hitchhiked for Ecuador to New York - Traveled penniless through 10 countries with a kitten and a lanky, blue-haired man-child. Crossed the fabled Darien Gap, Panama Canal, and the Rio Grande. Helped along the way by many angels. Life filled with Magic.

 Took Up Running - Began zealously training for a marathon.  Ran 18 miles once. Got shin splints. “Marathon” took up permanent residence on “To Do” list.

 Sold Psychedelic School bus - (see 1996)  Said goodbye to the bus, but hello to new friends.

 2000 -

Partied like it was 1999 - Got kicked out of Mayor Giulliani’s New Year’s Eve party just before midnight when it was revealed that I was not with Drew Barrymore. Rang in the New Millenium with nerdy, sober joggers in Central Park.

 Quito, Ecuador - Painted Murals. Made Jewelry. Was Robbed 7 times in one week . Learned how to poke thieves in the eye.

 New York - Discovered I could never be a flight attendant, due to my unconventional fashion sense.  Had a homeless man tell me, “My, what a Fellini-esque ensemble!"

 Christmas Trees - Began first of three seasons selling Christmas trees in Harlem. 24-Hour-a-day job.  Lived in a trailer on Broadway. Froze my ass off. Established first name basis with many pimps and dealers. Won nothing on Scratch Tickets. Smelled like pine needles.

 1999 -

First Art Show - Rave reviews. Unfortunately, the building burnt down, and all art was destroyed.

 Ecuador - Used insurance money from burnt art to return to South America, learn Fluent Spanish, meet many beloved friends, and fall in love with a country that would become my second home.

Saturn Cafe - Rebuilt legendary vegetarian cafe from the ashes.  Painted many funky murals. Became graveyard shift waitress and lost my mind just a little bit, but in a fun way.

 Thailand - Was contracted by an exiled princess of Burma to teach refugees how to make Kentucky Fried Chicken.

 Graduated UC Santa Cruz – Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology. Honors. Phi Beta Kappa.

 1998

Philippines - Worked with street children. Caught lice. Blindly rode small boats       to Borneo. Got caught in Indonesian Revolution. Saved by kind strangers. Peed on by other (less kind) strangers. Returned to America with amazing Sequined Boustier collection. Rode Greyhound cross country for the 24,352,458,743rd and LAST time.  Got peed on there, too.

Ireland – Chased a Leprechaun and danced naked on the Aran Islands.

1997

Calcutta, India - Worked for Mother Teresa. Humbled. Rode trains to Kathmandu.

 Rejected in the final casting round of MTV’s Real World. Humph.

 Santa Cruz- Worked as a Baker. Learned how to make a perfect Pie Crust.  Got fat.

Endeared self to landlord by painting house bright purple and pink. Psychedelic school bus stolen by circus (eventually returned, after much trauma).

 Ireland - Lived in the trees with eco-Warriors. Met a Leprechaun.

1996 -

Psychedelic School bus - Bought a burnt out bus for $500, painted it six thousand colors, and drove cross country with an amusing cast of characters.  Offended by people’s “Partridge Family” comments, because it was so, so, so much cooler than the Partridge family. My Beautiful bus appeared in newspapers, TV shows and magazines all over the world.

 Nursing Home - Took care of 20 rambunctious Alzheimer patients who had a fondness for Christmas carols and running out onto busy highways in their diapers.  Learned that senility is contagious.  Now I can sing all of the Old Tunes.

 Makeover - As a guest of the Jenny Jones Show, I was given a “Radical Makeover” and bid farewell to my green mohawk and my dignity.

 Europe - Hitchhiked and trained thru Europe on $5 a day. Whistled “Blue Danube” while  crossing the blue Danube. Rode magic carpets in Turkey.

1995

Guatemala - Worked at orphanage in middle of jungle.  Learned a lot about diarrhea and projectile vomit.

Thailand - Studied in Chaing Mai.  Made friends with prison inmates.  Live with a hill tribe.  Made maps of coral reefs for Thai Forestry Service.  Discovered that where language fails, blowing bubbles is worth a thousand words.

1994

 Africa- saw the word “Zanzibar” on a map, remembered the theme song from “The PattyDuke Show” and decided to go there. Learned how to count to ten in Swahili.

*U.S.A* - Hitchhiked across the country a half dozen times. Once hitched from California to New York in 2 ½ days.  Picked up hitching in Iowa by a naked guy. Fought a forest fire in Wyoming. Went to my 200th Grateful Dead Show. Never  touched drugs. Crossed Rocky mountains in the back of a pickup truck, under a full moon while watching shooting stars and making many, many wishes.

1993

Italy -  Exchange student at art school in Milan. Didn’t quite fit in.  Decided never to try to fit in ever again. Came home early to follow the Grateful Dead.

1992

Realized I was “different” -  Finished Highschool after 2 years. Became aware of how amazing the world is.  Stuck out my Thumb. Started traveling. Never stopped.

1976-1991

Born. Grew up. Tortured by older brothers. Insufferable Goody-goody.

 ***

Let it be known that in all these years I have never used any drugs, never got arrested, never borrowed money or went into debt, never even got a stupid tattoo (or any tattoo, for that matter.) I was a straight-A student all through High School and College.  Every step of the way I had the blessings and support of a gorgeous, loving family.

*I am just an eccentric, that's all. Always will be.*

Contact: kat@katwise.com

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