Life is exactly what you make of it, and local mom Vickie Vargas
is living proof of that.
Life is exactly what you make of it, and local mom Vickie Vargas is living proof of that.
Born and raised in San Jose, Vargas, who will be turning 44 next week, was one of five sisters growing up, which she says always kept things interesting around the house.
“It was a wonderful experience, we were all very close, we didn’t need any boys around,” she said. “We still talk all the time and I get along great with other women. It’s definitely my comfort zone.”
As teenagers, Vargas and her sisters were fun and spontaneous – Vargas even wore a tuxedo to prom, just because it sounded like a good idea at the time.
“I guess it wouldn’t be that crazy when you look at what kids wear to prom today,” she said. “I never had to look very far to have fun.”
After high school, Vargas attended community college and became a self-described “Disco Queen.” And it’s a good thing she did, too – when she was 22 she met Jose, a native of the Dominican Republic and her future husband, at a disco and fell for his Travolta-esque moves.
“I still tell everyone ‘I was disco and proud of it,'” she said.
While attending school, Vargas looked into working as a manicurist, which she thought would be an easy way to make money while focusing on studies. She liked it so much, however, that she decided to attend manicurist school and opened her own shop in Morgan Hill.
“I just really enjoyed it, it’s one of those woman things, you know?” she said.
While many who have gone into business for themselves have harrowing tales of financial woe and the special kind of stress that can only be found working with your family, Vargas says that her 10 years with the salon were enjoyable.
She and Jose fell in love with Hollister when they came to visit friends who were considering moving to the area 16 years ago, and decided it would be a good place to raise a family. Before too long, Vargas sold the salon to follow the path of the stay-at-home-mom for her daughter Michelle, 12, and son Nick, 10.
“I have never regretted it once,” she said. “They need my attention here, and it’s the most important thing I could be doing.”
Raising her children to be proud of their bi-cultural heritage has been very important to Vargas and her husband. At least once a year, the family returns to the Dominican Republic to visit family and, though neither Vargas nor her children speak Spanish, they always seem to communicate fairly well.
At home, Vargas adorns the house with brightly-colored Dominican art, a few pieces of which are the work of Jose’s aunt, an accomplished artist in her own right. As she loves to cook, Vargas has also learned the fine art of Dominican cuisine, a favorite of hers.
“It’s like nothing else in the world,” she said. “They use a lot of garlic and bell peppers, and once you try it you just love it.”
While she has no concrete plans for the future, Vargas says she can sense change coming to her life. But whatever it is, she says, she is ready for it.
“I think I’m a very lucky person,” she said. “I had my shop, and that was wonderful, and in this chapter of my life I’m at home with my kids, and it’s wonderful, and whatever happens next I know it will be just as good.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or
ds****@fr***********.com
