I moved away from Minnesota when I was 18 and haven't always been the best at communicating with family members back home. This is especially irksome to my mom's mom, who happens to be a prolific letter-writer. Once, when I returned for my parent's 25th wedding anniversary, Grandma asked me, "Have your hands healed?" "Nothing's wrong with …
Happy New Year!
Good-bye 2016. We had some great adventures!
Capturing Iceland
This is my Iceland Writers Retreat writing competition submission. While I didn't win this year, I was one of the finalists. I'm including the photos I took during the 2014 layover that inspired this piece. The rules: Iceland – Regard the Moon! Many authors have drawn parallels between Iceland and the moon. Write a max 500-word …
Missing Kerry
Rossbeigh Beach Near the village of Glenbeigh on the Ring of Kerry, Ireland I have never counted all the pictures I took while living in Ireland. There are probably thousands. I keep them in folders labeled by County and by month, and whenever I need to visit Ireland, I just open Kerry or Clare or …
Ireland: Land of Rainbows
Time for Reflection
American Refugee: 5 Reasons to Visit Inishturk, Ireland
Last summer I read an article about a tiny Irish island that would welcome American refugees if Donald Trump is elected President of the United States. It was a joke, of course, probably meant to drum up some tourism. During every election season stretching as far back as I can remember, Americans threaten to leave the …
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The Moment You’re Given
Arches National Park, Utah I hit Moab, Utah after an exhausting day on the road. Torrential downpours followed by blinding sunlight, back aches, and eye fatigue were among the things that made the drive from Buena Vista, Colorado difficult. What kept me going was the hope of seeing Utah's Delicate Arch for the first time at the …
Sand Dune Sunset
Death Valley, California After looking at routes out of Las Vegas back to Washington State, I decided to drive through Death Valley. I'd never been there before, and I wanted to visit - very briefly - the hottest place on earth. Stepping out of my car to take pictures was like stepping into a furnace. …