Fireflies and Jars

The Cliffs are Alive: A Poem

The Cliffs are alive. They whisper, They sing. They proclaim Their story, And it howls in the wind.

The air was hot and stale in the bus and so crowded with people I stood for the entirety of my journey. Muted French voices swirled in the atmosphere around me as their host’s bodies swayed to and fro with the curvatures of the road. I felt sick. With each twist and turn, it seemed asContinue reading “Last Days of Summer”

Travel Blunders Got You Down?

The night before, I felt as though I was suffocating beneath a thick blanket of Northern Australian atmosphere. Sweat pooled without conviction beneath my corpse-still body, and moisture was so thick in my lungs, I thought black mold might be the ultimate cause of my suffocation.

67 Reasons to Cheers this Summer

I’d like to raise a toast. A toast to summertime. Cheers. Cheers to the great outdoors. To sunshine kissed skin and freckles. To running through the rain without getting cold.

Australia Will Kill You: and other life lessons

Ever since I was very young I wanted to visit Australia. I’m not sure why, out of all the places in the world I became fascinated with this destination, though I suspect it had quite a bit to do with the wildlife. I love animals. I especially love wild, exotic, and strange animals. Australia isContinue reading “Australia Will Kill You: and other life lessons”

The Most Important Job in Wilderness Therapy: An Ode to Miss Tammy

Student at wilderness therapy program: “Does Miss Tammy own this company?” Wilderness therapy instructor: “Why do you say that?” Student: “Everyone’s always saying that she’s the most important person here.” Instructor: “Well, that’s because she is.” Wilderness therapy is the ultimate Hero’s Journey dance; a cyclical pattern of communication, efficiency, and passion. It is a process that is alwaysContinue reading “The Most Important Job in Wilderness Therapy: An Ode to Miss Tammy”

Because I Took the Plunge

I was lying naked on a broad flat rock. My legs were sprawled out in front of me and my feet rested at the edge of the river. The water flowed steadily downstream inches from my toes.

Summer Sun

It’s summer. Be independent. Be bold. Be beautiful.

Synchronized Fireflies: Journey to Healing, Part 3

The rock we sat on seemed to grow harder and harder as the sky around us grew darker and darker. The air was damp from a summer misting earlier in the day. The forest was quiet except for the swiftly running creek and the beat of my anxious heart full of expectation and wonder.

Synchronized Fireflies: Journey to Healing, Part 2

With a deep breath and wide eyes, I pulled my car into the line of minivans and mid-sized sedans packed with coolers, hot dogs, and the laughter of happy vacation spirits caravanning into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I look around my own car, feeling slightly out of place. Me in my compact car, water bottleContinue reading “Synchronized Fireflies: Journey to Healing, Part 2”