ON YVONNE GONZALES
On Location: (where do you call home?) I call Anaheim, California home, but Washington D.C. has become my second home over the past three years and I have a house there.
On Occupation: (What do you do to pay your bills?) I'm a diplomat currently serving in Harare, Zimbabwe.
On Love: (What do you believe about love, romance relationships?) I'm single and at age 45 I have no fantasies about marriage. I know how much I'd be giving up and I'm not willing to give it up easily. I do think it would be wonderful to fall in love with my best friend and enter a lifelong partnership with a man who shares my same faith and world view. Otherwise, it doesn't really make sense for me to be in a relationship because I'm a lot more focused, effective, and emotionally steady when I'm not in a relationship.
On Beauty: (What is your beauty/grooming ritual? Do you have any products you can’t live without?) First of all, I never go to bed without washing my face and applying moisturizer (and eye cream now that I'm beginning to see the signs of those nasty little crow's feet.) I don't have any special beauty routine. My favorite products right now are Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, Hourglass eyebrow pencil, and Aqua XL eye pencil.
On Style: (What’s your uniform? What do you wear to make yourself feel up to meeting the challenges of the day?) I feel most confident in a well-tailored skirt suit or dress. As a petite person, almost everything I wear is altered. I like to have my skirts hit right at or just above the knee. With fabulous heels - always heels.
On Philosophy: (What’s your guiding belief?) As much as we like to think we're the masters of our own lives, there's little we actually control, and we're all subjects of whatever or whoever we worship. I worship Jesus, and yes, I fail and frequently find myself worshiping other things and people and often myself, but I just keep returning and he always takes me back. How I treat people, what I care about, how I spend money...everything I am and do comes back to who I worship.
On Vacation: (Where do you go to recharge and relax? What makes that place special?) I really love to vacation at the beach. The sound of the waves and the smell of the ocean really help get me to a calm place. My favorite escape to place is Bali. I've never been able to exactly explain why Bali is so special. It doesn't have the most beautiful beaches or hotels. It has something to do with the ambiance and sense of peace. Somehow it feels luxurious yet accessible and inclusive, not only for the privileged.
On Transportation: (How do you get around? What’s your preferred mode of transport?) Currently I'm living in Zimbabwe so I definitely need a car, but I like to walk when the weather is nice and I don't have far to go.
On Reading: (What’s your favorite book, magazine, poem?) I don't have a favorite book, but right now I'm reading a fascinating memoir called When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by a white Zimbabwean journalist, Peter Godwin, who talks about the disintegration of Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe's rule.
On Dining: (What foods can’t you get enough of? Do you have special dishes you like to prepare at home or favorite restaurants?) I love all kinds of cuisines and would love to take some cooking classes. Generally, I live with a constant craving for Mexican food because I literally can't get enough decent Mexican food outside of Mexico and California. The only silver lining is that it's forced me to learn how to make a few of my favorite (and simple) Mexican foods like tacos de carne asada.