Her Name Is Vivi

Vivi always dreamed of living somewhere else. The Soviet Union had occupied her country, Czechoslovakia, and set up a communist regime there. She grew up in a little village and then her family moved to the city of Karlovy Vary.When Vivi turned seventeen, her parents arranged a wedding between Vivi and her boyfriend. They wanted to protect their family's reputation in case Vivi became pregnant while unmarried. At that time, Vivi did not know what love meant.In 1969, she embarked on a modeling career and appeared in fashion shows. However, the communist system would not permit her to succeed. Her parents did not allow her to participate, as they preferred to see her build a family.Vivi’s husband was six years older than her. His mother's family was from Ukraine and she had raised him alone. Vivi had no way out of her abusive household. She thought that there must be a better life on the other side of the Iron Curtain.After a massive fire in their home, she and her husband made plans to immigrate. Their new home was in the USA: Florida. Vivi became a fashion model in the late 80s. During the next 25 years, she learned how to live with an alcoholic husband. After the communist regime collapsed, he pushed her to return to Czechoslovakia, as he felt that there were many opportunities there. Their five years in Czechoslovakia were very eventful. Horrific events led to significant conflicts between Vivi and her husband.In 1997, Vivi returned to the USA to regain her freedom. She continued modeling and then opened a modeling agency. Today, Vivi is still helping aspiring models with their careers. Read more