Kathryn Gongini has worked all her life as a pharmacist in a small pharmacy in the Faroe Islands, lost in the Atlantic Ocean somewhere between Iceland and Scotland.

She was 60 years old when her husband left her. After thirty years of marriage, she decided that their relationship had consumed her.

The grown-up children long ago formed their own families and dispersed.So Catherine found herself in a

situation that probably every woman over fifty fears. She was suddenly left alone in an empty house.

After her husband left, Catherine had every opportunity to spend the rest of her life complaining about her fate,

cherishing her misfortune and feeling sorry for herself. Many actually do just that. Only Catherine understood that nothing good would come of such a strategy. Better to act.

The first thing Catherine did was sell the family home. And in return I bought myself a small but comfortable apartment.

She spent the difference to start her own business. At the age of 60, Catherine Gongini quit her job at the pharmacy and opened a fashion store.

She always wanted to do design and art, and Katrin found a small designer clothing store to be a good compromise.

But nothing good came of it.

Hmmm… Catherine thought of making the store profitable after several years of unsuccessful attempts.

‘Maybe compromise isn’t as good an idea as it seems.’ And after 60, is there even time for compromises? If I want to do art, then I should do art, not look for compromises.

At age 66, Catherine Gongini decided that compromise was no longer for her. Through the Internet, she found a school of contemporary art.

The school was in Barcelona, ​​Catherine did not know Spanish. But the lessons at school were conducted in English. And Catherine decided not to think about the rest.

She counted the money left after the idea with the store. if you don’t show it should be enough to pay tuition and live in Spain for a year.

Then she said goodbye to the store, children and grandchildren, bought a plane ticket and flew across Europe from north to south.

Her chosen major in school is called multimedia art forms. In this genre, the work of art is created using modern means of expression: photo, video, audio, computer graphics…

This is essentially the newest, most modern and only emerging art form. And very difficult, because to do this,

in addition to artistic abilities, you need to master modern computer photo and audio equipment and design programs.

So, at the age of 66, Katrin began a golden student life. She rented an apartment, which she shared with other students, in order not to spend too much money.

I started attending seminars and lectures. Her classmates were 18-20 years old, but Katrin was not bothered by the age difference at all.

She assures that the experience of managing a fashion store (although not the most successful) has taught him to establish good relations with young people.

Does she feel bad alone, in a foreign country, not knowing the language? Not a day! ‘I never felt alone in Barcelona, ​​so many impressions, so many things to see.

She says. ‘During my studies, I changed apartments for rent four times, and every time I was lucky, I ended up in apartments with good guys.’

New impressions, new friends, new profession. Catherine Gongini believes that the age after fifty is simply meant to be lived for fun.

‘Life gets a lot better after fifty,’ she says. ‘Because you no longer have all the responsibility

that used to weigh on you.
For me, current time is one continuous pastime. I’m free to do what I want.’

After finishing her studies in Barcelona, ​​Catherine Gonjini decided to return to the Faroe Islands for the summer.

‘Something ran out, we need to earn extra money,’ she explains. I have already agreed that I will work as a pharmacist for several months.

I will earn some money in the summer, go back to Barcelona and study Spanish seriously. Need to improve my Spanish before Mexico.

I will go there after my studies, I have friends in Mexico who are artists. Let’s create together.’