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I was planning to write an update about Tasmania, Australia’s southernmost island state, about fourteen days of hiking through moss-laden rainforest and along quartzite ridges, about the value of wilderness. But that was before I arrived in Coober Pedy. “Welcome to Radeka Downunder”, the sign at the hostel reception read. And they meant downUNDER. “6.5 […] I haven’t had a real conversation with anyone in days now, not since leaving Salt Lake City in the wee hours of the last day of last year. Tiptoeing down an icy driveway into the waiting airport transfer, shivering in my summer-in-the-southern-hemisphere jacket, I slipped out of the city in a contemplative quiet that has […] How have I done it? And why? And what does my lifestyle have to do with my English degree? In November I was fortunate to be invited to speak at the Clark University English department’s annual alumni event. I was asked to address these questions in front of an audience of current and potential English […] “Lleveme. Lleveme, hermano, por favor. Take me with you. For the love of God, I’m begging you, hermano, por favorcito.” He wore baggy jeans, a pink blanket, and red, inflamed eyes. His voice wobbled as he pleaded with the Greyhound conductor, who stood in the Flagstaff, Arizona, terminal with arms crossed, and responded in […] I had to run to catch my flight today. The relative proximity of SLC International to my home in Cottonwood Heights made me a bit more complacent than I should have been. The good news is I made it. The bad is that now I’m sweaty. It was a spectacular day to lift off. The […] Feeling a bit over-extended these days. But oh, it feels good. I’m making up for five months of being unemployed and purposeless, I guess. A lot is happening all of a sudden. I’m going into my third winter in Utah, and I’m reminded of my third year at Clark University: the first two years were […] While in Canada last month, Jeni and I were invited to a barbeque at her roommate Mia’s parents’ house. “We have to go, Susan. This isn’t any old backyard barbeque. This is a Filipino barbeque!” It was cold and rainy outside, but warmth and festivity bloomed through the front door as we entered. I took […] Those “km”s whizz by so much faster than those ponderous “mi”s. And they sound far more impressive: “I just biked 20 km!” versus, “I did about 12 mi. this morning”. However one tells the distance, man, it feels good to be outside, moving, feeling the sweat on my back dry as I coast downhill, pedaling […] September passed, and I was busy with several small fires around Salt Lake. October has finished up as well, and with it the fire season. Now it’s November, and the rocky peaks of the Wasatch have begun to wink at me with glittering, snowy eyes. It’s started to rain again in the valley, and after […] You have reached the website of The Wandering Susan. She’s not available to connect to the internet right now, but if you hang on tight, she’ll be with you as soon as she can. Your readership is important to her, and she thanks you for your patience. Your curiosity will be satisfied in due time. […] |
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