Born in France of Colombian parents with American governesses, I learned French, English, and Spanish simultaneously as a child, achieving native fluency in all three languages. Attended elementary school in France, French high school in Colombia, prep school in the U.S. and college at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y.

I sailed as a deck officer and Master Mariner from 1951-1976, holding a Master Mariner