Sarah M. Kirby

Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head

Previously Published in Kirby’s Pen

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Oh, the wisdom of parents. I truly believe that I have the best ones in the world because they always watch over me; they love me unconditionally, and they tell me that I can be whatever I want to be. I know I’ve pushed them past their comfort zone. I know that I’ve tested their patience, trust, and understanding more times than I can count, but in the end, they just love me and they understand that I have to be me.

As I find travel and guide myself through this universal plane, I am starting to admire them more and more. I see the struggles, the joys, the love, all in a whole new light. Now that I’m starting to think about a family and the next stages of my life, I am starting to appreciate how they have guided themselves as loving unity through their journey. With my parents anniversary taking place yesterday, I find myself reflecting upon the progression of life.

After a long conversation with my parents, my dad gave me some timeless advice. He told me that he thinks life is like a water droplet.

We are each a droplet.

If you look through a water droplet at something else, then the other image is different. Sometimes it is bigger. Sometimes it is smaller. Other times it is wider, and it can be taller. Either way, the water droplet creates a barrier that skews the perception of whatever one gazes through the water droplet to see.

Dad said that we, as water droplets, skew our lives with this perception. I believe our perception is directly related to the state of our thoughts, minds, and hearts. Dr. Emoto’s experiments on water molecules and the molecule’s awareness of thoughts and emotions comes to mind. I would go into greater detail, but that is for another blog.

My dad said that even though him and my mom have been married 32 years, it seems like a blink of an eye. Likewise, a droplet falls so fast. Even if it falls from the sky, it does not spend much time being a complete water droplet before it intersects with some other type of matter that causes the water droplet to break and burst. This idea made me kind of sad. Hearing that life goes so quickly only for us, as water droplets, to break, or as I saw it, die.

Yet, my wise father made the vision beautiful again when he explained how when that water droplet falls into a pool of water it burst open and creates a splash that echoes out and moves the rest of the water. In a similar way, our lives can make change upon the whole.

The whole ocean of souls can be touched and moved and changed by the stasis of one water drop, by our one way of perceiving and doing over our life. So many of us have heard that our lives create ripples, and I think about how my parents getting together and having a family has created ripples that would have never existed before they came together to create a life. It is those ripples that go on long after we leave this plane of existence.

For me, my father’s analogy has inspired me to create ripples and a life that prolongs joy, grace, happiness, compassion, creativity, freedom, and love for eons to come. His analogy has also caused the song, “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” by B.J. Thomas to play over and over in mind. I looked up the lyrics and it seems to fit in perfectly with this blog post.

Raindrops keep falling on my head
But that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turning red
Crying’s not for me
‘Cause I’m never gonna stop the rain by complaining
Because I’m free
Nothing’s worrying me

… It won’t be long till happiness steps up to greet me

Happy days to you all!

Daily Grind

Published from a previous blog title Kirby’s Pen

After a series of travels that have led me to finding the love of my life, and a new part of the country, I am back at the writing board. I’ve become more aware of something I already knew, which is that writing is inside of me and it must be expressed. I’ve been working as a journalist, freelance writer, and creative writer, and I’m drawn to stories about the human condition.

I just wrote about a dog who saved their owner’s life and a guy who has always dreamed of mountain biking and making a living do so. Now, he is doing it, and I’ve felt inspired by both tales. The woman told me that life is just too short, and the guy said there is no trying only doing. So here is me doing what I love and not waiting anymore because life is too short. I’m typing out into cyber world the thoughts that move in and out of my brainscape. I hope that there are some readers out there who are also inspired.

I’m not looking for fame or fortune, although I’m not opposed to those manifestations, but I’m looking to make a connection with people around the world so that through those connections I can better understand the human/life experience that connects us all. What it means to love, laugh, cry, and all other emotions involved in living each day on this planet, that is what I want this blog to be about.

The pursuit of knowledge emotionally, physically mentally, and spiritually will be key topics that I will discuss. My latest question has been about adulthood, and I would love to hear what other people think because I’m relatively new to this thing called the 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. work day. So far, I don’t like it. Why? Simply because I’m not crazy about going into work.

I like my work, but I do not enjoy being in an office. I feel like I can accomplish almost the same amount of work from my computer anywhere. Plus, I commute to work, which is an added hour of daily driving. I’ve thought about moving closer, but where I live is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, so the glory of waking up on the mountain is priceless to me.

In some ways, I could make my life easier, so maybe I shouldn’t complain, but I see the happiest people in my life not compromising. Instead, they see a challenge as an opportunity. The beauty of life is that everyone is different. Everyone finds their happiness in different ways, and for some, I’m sure, the 8 to 5 gig is great. Me though, I feel torn between being with my family, having time to practice yoga, doing things to take care of myself, cooking homemade meals, fixing up my home, sending handwritten letters to those I love, writing my novel, and traveling.

For months, heck really the last two years, this whole struggle has finally come to surface after a series of fights with my new love and my family. I feel the pressure from society to conform, to be everything they want which is a beautiful woman who has full benefits and is using her M.A. degree. Yet, the artist in me wants to smash the clock and work at my own pace. I know it is all balance.

I know as my yoga practice has taught me that everything is made of balance, the yin and yang. I’ve watched “The Secret,” and I have enough enlightened friends to know that I can manifest and create my own reality. So while I’m still working that job, I thought I could at least work on my own pursuits so that I can head toward independent employment.

Anything could happen, so why not try and live in the footsteps of those I admire, maybe I will be the next great ____________ (fill in the blank). I’m excited by the unknown. I’m excited by the chance to succeed.

Happy Birthday Birthrightegous Babe

(This post is from a previous blog titled Kirby’s Pen)

My birthday came and went this last Tuesday. An occasion that I have thought about for the last year, which is ironic because the year before I forgot about it. Last year I quit looking at the clock so much that I welcomed the opportunity to get lost and boy did I ever get lost. With no know understanding of where I was suppose to go, I graduated with a Masters in English, headed to San Francisco, and found my current boyfriend while being hippienapped (as he calls it) onto a new adventure.

Before I met him, I was the poster girl for being noncommittal. In fact, the only obligations that I had in my life was watering a very resilient spider plant who I named Amon because his long green billowing canopy of foliage reminded my of a chia pet with excellent dreads. Amon is also how a Jamaican brother might say, “hey man,” or “A’ mon.”

Now I have goats, chickens, two dogs, a cat, a large vegetable garden, and several house plants. I’m still trying to figure out how I have accumulated all of these responsibilities, but in so many ways, none of them seem like responsibilities so much as the task that must happen to make a family unit function with healthy love and care, which is exactly what I have learned over the course of this year- the importance of tender love and care.

I’ve struggled a great deal this year with wanting to take off and go travel, to worry about only my dreams and make them come true. I actually have done quite a bit of fretting and worrying that I’m missing my opportunity boat. If I don’t go see things while I’m young, then I never will, and why am I living on the west coast selling bicycles and teaching yoga when I could be living on beaches in Bali while teaching yoga to Himalayan princess who want me to meet their esteemed guru.

My bright imagination has taken me to high teas with queens and nomadic aboriginal spaces caked with lore and ancient wisdom. Yet, I have realized in this last year of adventure that you can not always choose how or why you get to a particular place, but you can always choose to be happy with hope, strength, passion, and courage. It is important to believe that all of your dreams will come true because if you will it, then your amazing spirit can always help manifest your righteous goals into reality. We are the creators.

Time Management Tips & Credible Sources for Writing a Great Research Essay

Writing a great essay takes time and credible sources but managing your time can be key when creating a well-written research essay. Here are some time management tips for finding credible resources in order to write a great research essay:

1. A well-written research paper needs to be researched before anything else. When writing a paper, you have to know the topic inside and out and use sources that support your thesis statement. It’s not enough just to read about your topic; you need solid information from credible sources.

2. Credible sources can be identified by checking the author and publisher. The best sources are from experts in your topic area, such as academic authors or other well-known publications like Scientific American, Popular Science, Time Magazine, etc. If you read an article online that quotes another source (e.g., “According to a study done by Smith et al….”), look up the author that wrote that article. Was it published in a respected, peer-reviewed journal? If not, the credibility of both the author and the source are brought into question. Remember that the best place to find credible sources will always be in the library’s database of scholarly sources.

3. Credible sources are backed by reputable research and/or statistics that give you facts about your topic and help support the original statements. Statistics can be especially helpful to back up your claims because they give your arguments a feeling of credibility. It’s hard to disagree with or argue against statistics because they are real numbers that have been collected through research! However, just because the source you used has both statistics and research doesn’t mean that the information is necessarily accurate.

4. Credible sources don’t stretch their claims beyond what is possible to prove. If they do, then they would likely acknowledge that they are making such claims. Credible sources will also present a good mix of both sides of the argument.

For example, if you want to use an outside source, include a summary or paraphrase from that source with your own comments/opinions included as well. Let’s say you are talking about the stress that comes from going away to college in your paper and you decide to write about how to manage stress. One article that you find is from the American Psychological Association. It offers three ways to manage stress: relaxation techniques, cognitive strategies and behavioral practices. You decide to use this source because it has lots of good information. You present the information in your own words and give credit to the source with an MLA citation at the end of your paper.

At the end of your paper, you may want to acknowledge that these are just some techniques that worked, but these techniques might not be effective for all individuals. Conversely, you might mention that these techniques are not a replacement for someone who is experiencing stress that is impacting their health in a negative way or is suicidal. You might mention that one should always consult with their physician, first. By providing alternative options or viewpoints you keep an objective point of view, which is deemed as credible in academia.

How to Write a Main Topic Sentence and Why They’re Important

One of the most important – yet often overlooked – elements of a well-written text is the main topic sentence. This sentence lays out the main point of your written composition, and if done correctly, can help to ensure that your reader understands your argument. In this blog post, we will discuss how to write a main topic sentence, and why they are so important in academic essays. We’ll also provide some tips on how to make sure your main topic sentence is clear and concise. Let’s get started!

The main topic sentence is typically the first sentence of your paragraph, and it should be clear and concise. It should state the main point of your paragraph, and it should do so in a way that is easy for your reader to understand. For example, if you are discussing the main point of your essay in the introduction, your main topic sentence should be something like, “The main point of this essay is to discuss the main points of main topic sentences.”

Another example is if you are writing an article about dogs and your main topic in a paragraph is about how a dog can help lower someone’s blood pressure, then the main topic sentence would be, “Studies show that dogs can help lower an individual’s blood pressure.”

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As you can see, your main topic sentence should be clear and to the point. It should state the main point of your paragraph in a way that is easy for your reader to understand. It is best to refrain from bringing up more than one main point. This can cause confusion, even if you have more than one idea that you want to share in a paragraph. It is best to compose a main topic sentence using the strongest idea that you plan to share.

There are a few things you can do to make sure your main topic sentence is effective:

– Make sure your main topic sentence is at the beginning of your paragraph. This will help to ensure that your reader understands what you are discussing right from the start.

– Keep it concise. Your main topic sentence should be clear and concise, so make sure not to include too much information.

– Think about what kind of evidence you will be able to use to back up your main topic sentence. This can help you to decide if you want to use that main idea as a point in your argument.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your main topic sentence is effective and easy for your reader to understand. Remember, the main topic sentence is one of the most important elements of a well-written text, so make sure to take the time to get it right. Thanks for reading!

When Students & Authors Should Get Writing Feedback

One’s writing process is a special and unique journey. No matter how good a writer is at writing, feedback is an essential part of improving a writer’s work. The idea of getting feedback can be a difficult one. It can be done at any stage in the process, but there are some times when you might want to ask for it more than others! Below, you will find a list of places in which writing feedback is helpful and why and how it is helpful in these particular moments in the writing process. If you are an author, then you can replace the word tutor with editor throughout this informative blog.

Starting/Brainstorming

The idea stage is when you start to think about what your paper could look like. At this point, the assignment may still feel very vague and unclear, but there are some general ideas of how it should go. You do not need to worry too much if at first glance certain aspects seem wrong or off-track as we all progress through brainstorming ideas differently every day!

The process for getting from an early concept towards something final begins here:

understanding one’s own strengths/weaknesses in order create effectively
identifying areas where additional research would help build stronger foundations (i e., Sources)
taking advantage of the information that you are learning in your class.

Sitting down with a tutor and engaging in a brainstorming session is a sure fire way to come up with a plan of action to decide on a theme and topic for a paper that matches the assignment that your instructor gave you.

Thesis Statement & Paper Outline

You may have a great idea for my argument, but it’s not clear if you are covering all the bases. Some questions you might be thinking about are:

Is there anything wrong with how I plan to organize my ideas?
Do my ideas look cohesive and well thought out, or am I just guessing what will work best when writing an outline from scratch without any guidelines as such?
Also does this sound like something where I need to define terms or ideas to make myself clearer?

A tutor is the perfect source to provide feedback on questions like these because they are a second pair of eyes who are not as familiar with the content in your class. As such, they will take a more open-minded approach that will allow them to focus on the overall clarity of the paper, and help you to discover if your main ideas are clear and if the flow of your ideas helps to create a logical argument.

Beginning Writing Drafts

When you’re writing a paper, the first step is to make sure that it makes sense and has been interesting. After all this work on your part-writing can be tiring! You might have questions such as:

Have I proven my thesis statement?
Is there enough convincing evidence for people who don’t know anything about what they’re reading or hearing from me today?
Will the reader still believe or be persuaded in whatever idea/thesis I am trying to prove?
Am I being clear enough so as not only to convey information but also explain enough to readers about certain concepts without the reader having to guess too much regarding certain points?

All of these questions are absolutely normal to consider once that first rough draft is finished. Meeting with a tutor is a great way to double check where your paper is excelling and where it could use a bit more polishing when it comes to the next draft. Plus, a tutor might be able to help you come up with a new idea that helps you to meet your writing goals with a paper even faster.

Later Writing Drafts

As you develop what you want to say, how you plan to say it, and the evidence you will use to back up your ideas, other questions emerge in the writing feedback process.

Is there a clear, logical flow to the way I am wording my sentences?
Am I using too many conjunction phrases or does each idea stand on its own two feet well enough without them being attached together with other words that could denature their meaning?
Does this passage make sense as written – do all of these points connect seamlessly from one thought-experimentally moving into another until they’re linked by something tangible (i e., not just generalities such us “they” )?
Do I have an academic tone aka is my language formal?
Is my conclusion summarizing everything that I said in my paper and how it said it?

The many steps that makeup the writing process can feel endless, but the good news is that if you are at this stage, then you have already made it over the major peak of the writing-an-essay mountain. Along with reading your essay aloud at this point, and potentially reading it to a friend or relative, meeting with a tutor is another good idea. By this point, many students are so far emerged into what they have written that it can sometimes be hard to distinguish what is working and what needs a bit of fine tuning. Reading your essay aloud helps you to catch errors, but meeting with a tutor is a smart strategy to help you through this phase and move effortlessly into the final writing draft.

Final Draft

Well done! You’re finished with your final polished draft. This is when you look over your paper with a fine-tooth comb for grammar, citation, formatting, and punctuation errors. At this stage, the organization, main points, thesis statement, and conclusion are firmly in place, and the clarity of the writer’s message is obvious. Some questions to ponder in this stage are:

Does it seem like there are any noticeable spelling or grammar errors?
Are my margins, footnotes and formatting okay for the paper’s effectiveness?
What can I change before I submit this assignment for a grade?
Are all of my sources cited?
Is all of my paraphrase, summarized, and quoted information properly cited?
Is my Works Cited or Bibliography in the correct format?

This is the best stage in the process to enlist the help of a writing tutor to provide you with feedback because having another individual look over your work could be the difference between a stellar and a pretty stellar paper. Plus, many students struggle with formatting principals, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago; however, this is where a writing tutor can aid you with changing your format and understanding why you need to tailor your format to adhere to certain formatting guidelines. If you are going to choose any stage in the writing process to receive feedback, then this stage is the stage to choose.

After Receiving Your Graded Paper

What should I do after writing a paper? This is an important question for any student to ask themselves because the way in which we approach our work can have lasting effects. When reviewing comments on your past projects and grades received from instructors/professors it’s crucial not only understand what was given but also why they were given as well so that next time around things go more smoothly! If you are confused about comments or wondering how you could improve in the future, then meeting with a tutor can be quite helpful.

Of course, it is always wise to clarify confusing comments with your instructor, but if you thought you did something right but you lost points for it, then taking a paper to a tutor for clarification can be a great way to reflect and revise a game plan for a different course of action on the next paper. Reflection is a key for all writers, and taking the time to do so, even on a paper that received a high score, can really help a writer to take their writing game to the next level.

The Power of Stories

Have you ever wondered why stories matter? Stories allow people to share their voice and change the world. Stories can be used as a tool for empowerment, offering an escape from reality, or simply making someone’s day better. Stories are all around us and we often take them for granted; but when we harness the power of stories they can make a big difference in our lives. Stories can help others to find their voice, tell your story, and make a difference!

One of the most important things stories offer us is an escape from reality. There are many difficult things in this world that we cannot change, but through stories we can journey to different worlds, meet new people, and explore different cultures. We can also see life from a different perspective and learn more about ourselves.

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This is extremely important for businesses to recognize. Does your business sell matcha? How about taking your reader in a blog back to ancient days when matcha was first discovered. Does your company promote outdoor recreation? Why not start a blog post with a detailed story of a recent employees trek up a 14,000 ft. mountain?

The key to a successful business is finding ways to emotionally connect with your reader. Telling stories is one of the most effective ways to do this. People love stories and they make us feel something; whether it’s happiness, sadness, anger, or fear. When we can evoke an emotion in someone we’ve got them hooked!

Instead of calling myself a copywriter or content creator, I prefer the term digital storyteller because that is really what most writers do, and that is absolutely what I do. Instagram has a section called stories. YouTube is littered with how-to videos that always include a story about how the person decided to make or create an object or process. Twitter is the ultimate manifestation of a flash fiction story, and all resumes on LinkedIn share a story of how a professional gained the experience that brought them to where they are today.

Likewise, students should never neglect the power of stories. Not only telling stories, but also sharing how the details in stories may or may not be true. Our culture is currently interested in creating new narratives around untrue tales. For example, was America really found or was it infiltrated? When students and businesses take the time to think about the details and facts that make up a story, then they are able to find a foothold in a proposal, essay, or marketing campaign that can really catch an audience’s attention and make them want to read on. In some ways, acknowledging what and why certain aspects of a story are true, is, in a way, a form of research. It can also be a way to add nuance and layers to an argument or discussion.

The next time you feel stuck, remember the power of stories and how they can help us connect with others on an emotional level. Stories are one of the most powerful tools we have access to, so use them wisely!

AMOR FATI: LOVE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS, so let it snow…

It’s snowing and thank god we needed it. Jazz is playing and the pines on the hillside are covered in a soft white flufiey fluff that makes the world softer. I’m full swing into this semester, and so far I’m truly enjoying my classes. I have wonderful students, and the conversations and ideas that are being expressed are inspirational. I really do believe in the virtue of humanity.

On April 2017, Time Ferris produced a TED Talk called Why You Should Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals . The talk discusses the philosophy of stoicism. His presentation quickly lead me to reading more about the principals of stoicism in the article, ” What Is Stoicism? A Definition & 9 Stoic Exercises To Get You Started” from the website, Daily Stoic. In a way, this cabin in the depths of a winter wonderland is an excellent encapsulation of the subject matter couching stoicism. It is tucked into the crevice of a mountain valley clothed in snow, which could be a trying time depending on resources; however, in this picture, the cabin relinquishes, in my stoic eyes, a peaceful setting. A cozy space for solitude and reflection. A space to meet the weather with an acceptance of fate.

Photo by Radu Andrei Razvan on Pexels.com

In our busy world, sometimes the idea of getting snowed-in feels like a saving grace. A chance to not be their; a chance to give up on some aspects of accountability, due to the cruelties of fate.

As I sit with the snow falling and my love pulling out my skis to take on the winter mountain slopes, I am practicing the AMOR FATI: LOVE EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS .

According to the Daily Stoic article mentioned above, “Emperor Marcus Aurelius would say: ‘A blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.’ Another Stoic, Epictetus, who as a crippled slave has faced adversity after adversity, echoed the same: ‘Do not seek for things to happen the way you want them to; rather, wish that what happens happen the way it happens: then you will be happy.’ “

These two quotes to me speak of Buddhism in the act of letting go of expectation or “not seeking for things to happen.” They speak of Hinduism in the sense of allowing oneself to blend into the environment surrounding a person, and “to wish that what happens happen the way it happens.” In Hindiusim being in align with the moment and not resting the natural flow of the universe is a type of bliss, known as samadhi. This principal also rings true in Taoism or Doaism.

These quotes also echo out toward the transcendentalism ideologies of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Both men wrote critically-acclaimed works about the divinity of nature and humanity, which the two men believed pervades everything in the world. A type of intrinsic intelligence was found inherent in nature; as such, the two men held observation of the natural world from a “witnessing” perspective in high regard for personal development.

As such, I find this stoic principal to love everything that happens to be a key feature crafted with slightly different signatures throughout the world of thought and religion. To find these intersections in the way the world works is ponderous and pleasing, at least to myself.

So now that we dragged our feet and have decided to move skiing to tomorrow, I still feel this concept of making the most out of life’s outcomes. It’s the concept of if life gives you lemons make lemonade, but with a twist. It’s not just a way to look at the beauty in the sorrow but also a way to seek out opportunitites in the muck of uninvited outcomes.

Daily Stoic end by mentioning that Amor Fati is, “treating each and every moment—no matter how challenging—as something to be embraced, not avoided. To not only be okay with it, but love it and be better for it. So that like oxygen to a fire, obstacles and adversity become fuel for your potential.”

With that, I am off to pursue other scholarly matters, like paper grading. I leave this platform grateful for the moment that fate provided myself to write this post, loving everything that happens: the intersects, the questions, and the grammar errors—-if there are any.

A Travel Review of Portland, Oregon

Four days and three nights in Portland, Oregon was a whirlwind of great brews, excellent food, unplanned grandeur, and Oregon’s tale-tale signature, waterfalls. My forever and I met up with two of my best friends whom I have not seen in far too long. They are excellent planners, and we saw parts of this growing city that I never knew existed.

Our Air BnB was excellent, and looked straight out of a magazine. It rather far away from downtown, but I had my car. The first day, we got there in the afternoon. I met up with my friends at one of the downtown markets. It was a craft extravaganza with tons of amazing aromas drifting off of different food trucks.

After the long drive to the area with already somewhat frizzled nerves, it was a bit overwhelming in the sense that every item was almost too cool to choose.

We had amazing pizza, and ice cream for dessert that evening. My ice cream was mango marionberry habanero. I never would have tried it most likely, but my friends were getting it to, and sometimes crowd mentality is not a negative trait.

They drizzled it in caramel and handed it to me in a handmade waffle cone. That was a great ending to our first day. The next day we visited the Pittcock Mansion. Apparently, a man who was the owner and editor of the Oregonian, and he had lots of money and built this mansion. It cost $11 to get in, but it was worth every penny.

The craftsmanship and architecture of this space is on par with some of the buildings I saw in Italy. Each room is ornate beyond belief, or it incorporates technologies that would have been considered state-of-the-art at the time of their use, which includes a in-set lighting and a laundry shoot that works by motor instead of being hand pulled.

Plus, the gardens around the mansion are exquisite, and the view of Portland and the mountains in the distance, is, well- a multi million dollar mansion kind of view. In other words, go there, if you can.

After this lush adventure, we went to the Portland Forest Park to find the Witch’s Castle. It was a goregous short hike in the woods. I had no idea that Portlandians had these types of trails to exercise in everyday.

Turns out this structure was actually a bathroom stop for people traveling along the trail. I found this rather hilarious, but the structure is perfectly situated with its moss patches to sit in the backdrop of that charming forest next to the creek. A lovely free excursion.

The Portland Rose Garden was not too far away. It is close to the Portland zoo, and it is free except for the price of parking. I’ve been to the rose garden in Berkley, CA, which was awesome, but this rose garden was bigger and dare I say better? It was different; let’s just call it that. The International Rose Garden has 10,000 bushes and 650 different varieties. I saw purple and tie-dye roses. Some of the rose bushes had been in the ground there since 1919. It was awesome and another charming must-see in Portland.

That evening we went to a Speakeasy. It was cool because the house looked like any normal house. Later that evening we went to an Irish Pub that boasted some great food, which include a squash risotto.

Our adventure the next day was in search of waterfalls. Not waterfalls, but the waterfall that is often advertised when one thinks of Oregon, Multnomah Falls. These falls are located in the Columbia River Gorge. The waterfall includes a 611 foot drop, which is amazing. Normally, one can hike to the top of the falls, but because of fires that affected the area, we could only walk to the iconic white bridge that gives one an astonishing view of water falling into a calm pool that looks good enough to swim in.

The amount of people who were also there to visit these falls was substantial. I loved the many different languages that we heard while hiking to the different photo opportunities.

Our friends felt like they saw all that they wanted to see in Portland, so one of them suggested that we could go to Vancouver, Washington. This way they could say that they went to Washington too during their stay. I’d been there once, and had great coffee. My intuition told me that there had to be a cultural center of young awesomeness somewhere in Vancouver, especially because it was so close to Portland.

We went to the first brewery that we saw once me made it into Vancouver’s downtown. The first brewery reused their spent grains to make quesadillas and other items on their menu. Plus, it was happy hour so the prices were great. My forever really liked the quesadilla; I thought it was alright, but I thought the fact they were finding new ways to reuse their grains was excellent.

We found out that we could go on a brewery tour, so we took up the challenge. There are over 20 breweries in Vancouver, and we went to different one’s trying a beer and visiting a delicious food truck there.

I got to try so many different types of beer, which I love. I’m completely fascinated by fermentation. Heathen Brewery had an amazing selection of sour beers. I find them akin to kombucha, but with a stronger, more sour punch. I also had an apple pie cider at at Doomsday Brewery, which was my personal favorite brewery of the 6 that we went to. We didn’t make it through the whole tour, which was probably better for our bodies and bank accounts, but we had a great time in the process.

The next morning we ate breakfast at this amazing place that made eggs Benedict with house-made vegetarian sausage on a waffle, yes, a waffle. It was soooo good, and the perfect send-off to our adventure, which was great.

As the title states, this little vacation reminded me of how much I love traveling, and how much I love to explore. As such, when my Dad suggested that we fly out to Denver to spend time in a cabin in the mountains with my family next week, I just could not say no. Plus, we are flying out of a new airport, which means we get to drive to a new neck of the woods, Lake Tahoe.

I drove through the area five years ago, and my forever has never been. This means we get to add two new adventures into one trip. This is an amazing way to spend my birthday month, and a grateful escape from the smoke that we’ve been surrounded by this month due to the fires. I’m sure I will share another post about my adventures in the future.

Welcome! A Bit About Me

Are you looking for a professional writer to help you deliver high quality content? Are you a student that needs help figuring out how to write a cohesive academic essay? Are you a small business owner who makes and awesome product or provides an amazing service, but you are having a hard time putting your offerings into words? I am here to help!

I am motivated to do my best for the intrinsic reward of a job well-done, and I want to share this information with you because I believe that everyone deserves to feel good about sharing their ideas through written and digital content. I am an English instructor who can always find another way to share a message with greater efficiency and effectiveness.

My versatility as a writer and experience as an editor allows me to compose academic essays, professional resumes, eye-catching articles, memorable blogs, likeable social media content, attractive product descriptions, engaging newsletters, and informative research papers. Along with being a native English speaker, I have a Masters degree in English, which means my research and composition abilities are well-honed. Minors in creative writing and ethnic and gender studies also comprise a part of my educational background.

My current writing focal points include environmental sustainability, outdoor recreation, destination travel, arts and entertainment, laser engraving, homesteading, wellness, yoga, academic writing, essay writing, content creation, social media management, and professional writing.

Along with teaching English, I also have years of experience as a journalist, which means I understand how to write press releases, adhere to AP format, build social media platforms, work with the media, and meet deadlines. As a journalist, my job positions ranged from editor to staff writer to freelancer, and my beats covered stories ranging from an interview with the Grammy-award winning artist Macklemore to coverage of government lawsuits, fracking issues, natural first aid kits, album releases, and much more.

Allow me to help you elevate and increase the internal and external visibility of your writing voice. Everyone has talents! I have always been a superior writer and speaker. Let me do what I love, and help you gain a better understanding around what makes your message special and different from the crowd. In other words, let me help you write it right!

I love language, and for business owners, I want your articles, blogs, newsletter, eBooks, books, and social media posts to attract more attention than ever before. For students, I want your academic essays, resumes, research papers, scholarly articles, and emails to professors, and applications for future academic programs to demonstrate your excellent and thoughtful ideas. I decided to become a professional writer because I love helping others share their messages. I believe that the, “pen is mightier than the sword,” and I believe that words can, have, and do change the world everyday.

Thank you for reading my first blog and taking the time to get to know me. I hope the information you gain from this website will help you to feel more confident about communicating your ideas with the world. If you would like to connect about a project or idea, check out the contact tab on this website. If my tips help you, then please let me know via email or Twitter. It would make my day!