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BRADSHAWFARAFONOVA By Meghan Ochs
© CHRIS TALBOT
Nellie Bradshaw-Farafonova is the senior, and only, passport clerk at the Crystal Bay Post Office. Nellie and her job have a lot in common, on the surface both might seem ordinary in a lovely, predictable way, perhaps even a bit outdated in today’s modern digital world. However, it turns out, her job, just as Nellie herself, is a lot more complicated than meets the eye. Nellie moved to Incline Village in ‘94 with her second husband and their then, two young children. Today, she lives in Crystal Bay and the years between tell an interesting story about a unique woman. She began what she calls her ‘second career’, the one outside of raising her children, at The Hyatt as a hostess. She soon became supervisor and moved onto the Regency Club and became a concierge manager. In early 2002, she made a big change and moved to Russia to teach English. The move was precipitated by both her divorce in 2001 and 9/11 which impacted tourism. Nellie loved her time and experiences in Moscow, but despite having a multi entry exit visa and visiting on occasion, she desperately missed her children. Listening to Nellie discuss her time in Russia it’s obvious that her time away fed her naturally adventurous spirit. While there, she earned good money to send back to her children and married her third husband who was Russian. In 2005 she came back to Tahoe and was devastated when soon thereafter her marriage ended. However, Nellie’s palpable tenacity kicked in. Nellie started what would become a long term career with The United States Post Office. Hard work and adaptability seem to come easily to Nellie and kind grandmother. Talking to Nellie you quickly learn that which is incredibly useful in her role at USPS. The office at both of these assumptions about her, and the place she works, Crystal Bay is actually under the jurisdiction of The State are far from the truth. Nellie is anything but quiet, or tame. Department in Los Angeles and is unique in the number of She is sweet and kind yes, but an emotionally strong, unique passports it processes. Prior to COVID, 65-70 a month were woman who forged her own path and collected a lot of stories processed, now, Nellie and her single member staff, do over of adventure, hard work, and heartbreak. As for the place she 1600 in a 6 month period. People come by multiple travel works, it doesn’t take long to learn how truly important the modalities to get to Nellies office for complicated travel cases. services she provides really are. Nellie and the Crystal Bay Nellie has an amicable nature that lends well to customer Post Office provide services and basic needs to individuals and service and she loves all who visit. She notes that her job families that many take for granted. There seem to be a lot requires a lot of patience due to the long term nature of of unspoken parallels between Nellie and her work, perhaps acquiring passports. She often encounters angry and disgruntled this is why she loves it. Nellie hopes to stay in her current people. However, she still builds lots of positive personal role for awhile longer. She thinks about retirement from her relationships. She can rattle off names and addresses the same 6 days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day, job but knows it doesn’t way people remember land line phone numbers. Nellie has make sense until she becomes a grandparent, or finds a new obvious, high level people skills. partner. For now, for the benefit of local residents and wannabe The Post Office in 2023 might seem irrelevant. Something travelers, Nellie will be behind the counter at Crystal Bay in the similar could theoretically, and wrongly, be assumed about signature USPS light blue shirt, and navy apron, with her big Nellie. As a short statured 68 year old woman, she seems smile and warm heart, greeting all those who walk through the quiet and unassuming. Nellie has the appearance of a young door. LIVE.WORK.PLAY.
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HOLIDAY 2023
