05/19/2025
Our newest Spotlight comes to us in timeline format. Welcome to our Spotlight classmate, Christina Nonini-Pericas!
Here goes:
1975: graduated HS…happy dance!
1979: Graduated college; happy dance!
1980: got married to Joaquin; happier dance… now the fun begins!
Moved to Glendale AZ where Joaquin was finishing up his master in International Business. I worked in the admissions office of the school.
1981: first job took us to Winston-Salem NC (RJ Reynolds To***co Co) bought our first home. Sold home.
1982: company transferred us to Miami, FL where Joaquin worked with the Latin American Markets.
1983: had our first daughter, Danielle, in November, but soon got sent back to Winston-Salem NC.
1984: bought another home and moved back to Winston-Salem NC.
Here is where I start forgetting the exact years so bear with me:
1984(?): Joaquin got a better position with Ralston Purina (dog food people) in St Louis MO.
Lived in an apartment for a year not sure what area of the city we wanted to live in. Found a new home, moved in and 8 mo later a better job offer took us to the Kellogg’s company in Battle Creek, MI. (Burrrrrr…)
1986: bought home. I was home-bound with daughter (now almost 3 yrs old)
1987: “it’s a boy!” Our second child, Andrew Blaise, was born nearby in Kalamazoo MI, in early April.
1988-89- new job offer with Ge**er Baby Food was accepted and we moved further northwest to Fremont MI. Fremont was quite small and didn’t have many homes to buy. So we rented a small summer cabin on a small lake and hunkered down while we built our first house. Fun times! Winter was brutal (details forthcoming at reunion if anyone is interested).
We lived in Fremont for about 6 years. Great place to raise kids.
1993: birth of third daughter, Mercedes in October
1994: moved to Houston, TX with Minute Maid (Coca-Cola Company)
1994-1996: lived in Katy, TX. Liked It there….but you know what’s coming….
Yep! Coca-Cola had an international job opening in Milan Italy and off we went.
Coca-Cola was a terrific company and took great care of us in our moves with them.
1997-1998: lived in a suburb of Milan called Basiglio. Lots of International families in this area. Children attended an American School 25 min away by bus.
I volunteered at the school and kept busy.
After only 19 mo in Milan, we were transferred to Vienna Austria. We remained in Vienna for 5 years.
In 2001 we were sent back to Houston TX where they had a job at Minute Maid for Joaquin. After another rather brief stay, a bigger job came up in Atlanta Ga, so we moved yet again.
We have now been in Atlanta since 2002.
Joaquin has retired and I’m NOT packing anymore boxes…. Happiest dance ever!
Our children all finished college and are currently employed. Both girls are married and have three granddaughters between them. Our son has one daughter who I babysit weekly. Joaquin is completing his masters in theology. I attended culinary school in 2007, worked in the industry until 6 years ago and now do small jobs for friends and relatives. I primarily bake now since the whole catering thing is just too much for me plus I want to enjoy my grandchildren as much as I can. I’m involved in our church and belong to a few ministries that keep me busy. We got a new puppy “Picabo” last April and she’s been training us!
We’ve traveled our entire married life first and foremost to visit family both in California and Barcelona Spain. We have plans to make a pilgrimage to Lourdes, and Fatima with our pastor and other parishioners in late May and are excited to finally see these holy sites. I would LOVE to be able to come to the reunion and see you guys. I can’t believe it’s 50 years! I pray ALL of you are well and happy and will be attending the reunion. I am sorry I‘ve been MIA these years but with the moving and uprooting of our family, there has been a lot I needed to attend to. I am sure everyone has their stories to tell and I want to hear them all. I told Evelyn Wu that although I have a page (my kids set up for me YEARS ago) I never use it. I am looking forward (God willing) to seeing you and catching up. (That will likely take far longer than one celebratory evening, I am sure) God Bless you all. I hope to see you soon. My email is: [email protected]. You can try me on Facebook, too…. I’ll try to respond.
Thank you for sharing with us, Christa!
