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Ten years ago this week, I – freshly graduated from high school – flew to Quito, Ecuador, to teach English at an orphanage. Ok, well, really, I was getting out of my hometown, making my mark, immersing myself in language and culture, learning something new about a corner of the world far, far away from my tiny…
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Ten years ago today, I – freshly graduated from high school – flew to Quito, Ecuador, to teach English at an orphanage. Ok, well, really, I was getting out of my hometown, making my mark, immersing myself in language and culture, learning something new about a corner of the world far, far away from my tiny Eastern…
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I’ve often heard iterations of the phrase “the more you learn, the less you know” — if you’re human and you speak English, you’ve probably heard it, too. I suppose there are as many ways to interpret the phrase as there are letters comprising it, but the way I see it is that one who…
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Question: Why do people love backpacking so much? And why haven’t I done it yet? Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, it’s more than a little silly that I haven’t gone backpacking before. I’ve tent-camped a hundred places, hiked a hundred more, but never the two together. My encounters with backpacking have been purely…
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It’s been 13 years since Rachel Corrie was murdered in Gaza while protecting Palestinian homes from demolition. In the ensuing time since her death, she’s become a beacon of humanitarian work for people all over the world. She’s been a personal hero for me — I’ve admired her courage, her writing, her dedication to helping…
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There are many ways in which I feel alienated from the rest of my human peers. I love Hillary Clinton. Literally everyone else in the world seems to hate her. I don’t like dogs, and that’s “weird.” I actually prefer salamanders. Like, if everyone who has a dog had a salamander instead, I would be…
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In case you have never yet heard of Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey/Fidalgo island in NW Washington, let me enlighten you. It is one of the most engaging hikes I have ever been on, and I’ve now been there twice in a month! It’s not difficult, only reaching about 500 or so feet of…
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Hello everyone, I guess I’ve been off the blog horse for a while – I’ve been reading lots of books, crafting, volunteering, hiking and visiting friends and family, prepping for Jim’s parents’ visit, Wintergrass, and planning my birthday! Meanwhile, the world has gotten interesting. The daffodils are up, the cherry blossoms are already waning, and…
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Snow Falling on Cedars, by David Guterson Challenge: A book with weather in the title Rating: 4.5/5 Review: David Guterson wrote the foreward for the book I just read – Wintergreen – so it is fortuitous, or something, that this book came in at the library immediately following. I’ve always heard this was a good…
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Wintergreen: Rambles in a Ravaged Land, by Robert Michael Pyle Challenge: A book based in your current town or region (Willapa Hills is close enough to Seattle, right?) Rating: 5/5 stars Review: This is a lovely book. I have now purchased a fine hardback copy for myself, and I suggest you do likewise. I feel…
Anna A. Snook 