In either second or third grade at Loup City Elementary School, I won an award for a poem I wrote about oranges. Fast forward forty years to my next writing award, the 2019 Delaware Division of Arts Emerging Artist Literary Fiction Fellowship. Talk about a dry spell!

But then again, I wrote nothing more than the papers, compositions, and essays required in my classwork. In my tunnel vision to get out into the real world, creative writing, or any type of writing as a career, seemed impractical. I graduated with honors from Nebraska Wesleyan University with a very practical B.A. in Business Administration and Spanish.

After graduating I spent a year volunteering in Costa Rica with an organization called World Teach. We lived with local Costa Rican families and taught in the public schools. I wrote a monthly column for my local newspaper back in Nebraska, The Sherman County Times, about my life as a volunteer. I found that I loved writing the article. I loved the struggle of making my thoughts fit together coherently. I loved describing the similarities and differences in our cultures. And I loved the reaction I got from the people back home. I was hooked!

When I got home from my volunteer year, instead of getting that practical job for which my college degree qualified me, I became a server and followed the summer from Florida to Delaware and back, year after year. While in Florida, I wrote articles for the Marco Island Sun Times about community events and things to do in the area.

Finally, my husband and I settled in coastal Delaware opening a kayak, paddleboard, and sailboat rental and tour business. For the off season we bought a small RV. We’ve driven cross-country multiple times and down the Baja Peninsula. We started a blog about our travels and our other outdoor experiences called Let’s Take This Outside.

As our kayaking business grew so did the need for a quality website. I write the content, blog posts, and e-newsletters for Coastal Kayak.com. Our email list has grown to nearly 6,000 subscribers.

In 2010 I joined the Rehoboth Beach Writer’s Guild. Through their creative writing classes and supportive membership I’ve been able to finish my literary fiction novel, Cottonwood, and am now seeking representation.

As a freelance writer, I specialize in outdoor experiences, nature, and small business. Please contact me to discuss ideas for your projects!