In this interview, I talk to Tonya Krause-Phelan. Like GDM, Tonya was raised on a farm, but while GDM was born in 1954, putting her closer to the baby boomers, Tanya was born in 1962, 8 years later, putting her closer to Gen X. Much of what Tanya said resonated with me. She always felt like an “other” growing up in rural Jackson County, Michigan. I felt like an “other”, too. Tonya describes how those feelings led her to make some unconventional choices for a woman at that time. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

GDM was raised on a farm in western Illinois, spent years in the Peace Corps in various parts of Africa, married a fellow Peace Corps volunteer, and settled into a career in New Zealand over 30 years ago. She has dual U.S.-New Zealand citizenship. Born in 1954, the youngest of four, she feels like a solid Baby Boomer, not so much part of Generation Jones. Let's find out why.

In this interview, I talk to Dan from Montana. Dan was born in South Dakota, moved a lot when he was a child, and lived most of his life in the American West. When he retired a few years ago, he and his wife set out to travel the world. Dan’s observations of life in the Western U.S. reveal an America that became more corporate and less personal, yet one which offered technological advancements that allow him to expand his horizons in the world.

00:00-00:27 Introduction to episode

00:31-00:57 Introduction to guest

00:58-5:27 Childhood

5:36-14:50 Education

14:58-30:50 Employment

31:03-37:51 World or national events

38:00-46:34 Family life

46:43-51:09 Shifts in cultural attitudes

51:15-55:33 Technology in personal life

55:43-1:03:06 Word association & final thoughts