While we grumbled about rain drenching our tent, our socks and everything else, the region we so recently left suffered smoke and superheated winds. I worry about my friends. I wonder about the tomatoes and zucchini ripening in our garden, the hanging pots of petunias. Our hearts and minds are split between old home and new, our attention on friends and family in both places. … Continue reading From landscapes to skyscapes
To think I almost passed over this campsite because it lacked showers. This morning brought a downpour, their first moisture in months! The smoke is out of the air … and the rain is in our sleeping bags, our tent, our shoes, our dog, our car … Continue reading Be careful what you wish for
After arriving in Spokane full throttle, it only took us a few minutes to realize we didn’t actually have to keep going at that ridiculous pace. We stayed a day to visit, walk and regroup, and now we’re back on the road, feeling like a new family. A renewed family. Continue reading Respite day
I’m absolutely delighted to share with you the release of Inaka: Portraits of Life in Rural Japan! This collection includes my essay “Unexpected retreat.” Continue reading New release — a literary visit to rural Japan
As I pack books, I’ve been mulling a question that stumped me on my Lake & Prairie Book Tour last summer. I had just given a presentation and read from my memoir, The Same Moon, in front of a packed house — at least 90 percent friends and family — at my hometown bookstore, the Fargo Zandbroz. Having lived in Washington state for 18 years, … Continue reading Influencers
Strange to think these now-mundane views will soon become the stuff of precious memories. Continue reading Moving
These days, when travel decisions involve the question of “armchair” or “sofa” instead of “economy” or “first class,” gathering to relive past adventures feels like a holiday. Continue reading Book group joy
Weaving — with its infinite possibilities of pattern — has been offering me a concrete way to think about life … and the beauty of Japanese baths! Continue reading Weaving in a Japanese bath
The definition of freedom I shared as a 16-year-old exchange student seems particularly relevant today. Continue reading A freedom flashback
