I grew up as a child of immigrants during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. With a German mother and an English father, I never tasted peanut butter, but I did own a pair of lederhosen. My parents met while sailing to America, and each of their cultures and delights shaped me.

At ten, armed with overseas postage and a desire to connect with my relatives, I began writing to my grandmothers. And they wrote back. Nan used British vernacular and Oma wrote, “Liebe Gail.”  I reported on our life, and they introduced me to places I would visit and eventually live. 

Overseas then myself -- as a reverse immigrant-- I began a second journalistic campaign: to introduce my long-distance homes and travels to my siblings and friends in the US. My adventures led to published clips in magazines, a short story contest win and book-editing jobs for a marketing company. 

In the last year of nearly four living in Nigeria, I co-wrote and edited a charity book, Nigerian Gems:  Expatriate Tales of Adventure. The book is in its Second Edition after four reprints and with its wide appeal has generated funds for building a school and out buildings, curriculum and supplies, teacher salaries and more while also meeting needs for four other local schools. It is our belief that educating a child offers hope.

In a faraway land, one craves roots. So, we bought a home in my college town of Flagstaff where Northern Arizona University nestles at the foot of the San Fransisco Peaks. This physical connection with Flagstaff has led to current positions as Contributing Writer for Mountain Living Magazine and as Special Reporter at the Arizona Daily Sun newspaper. 

It is a double bonus to invest myself and work with people and a place that is close to my heart in one easy step.