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Twenty years ago...

I left Texas and fell in love with the whole wide world. 

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I've been trying to figure out a way to either capture it or consume it ever since. 

 

The best, closest way I've found to do that is to write it all down, travel often and share the landscapes that have moved and shaped me with others.

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At age twenty, fate landed me in Perugia, Italy where I ended up for thirteen years. 

During those years I learned the language, ate, lived and guided thousands of American university students through their semesters abroad.  Thus began my near twenty-year career in planning and leading both students and professionals on life-changing journeys around the world.

Since then I've had the pleasure and privilege of taking various groups all over Italy, Finland, Mexico, Morocco, Australia, France and both the UK and US. I've also had fun facilitating in-bound professional development tours, having led Vietnamese diplomats around Philadelphia and New York.  

I have had a front-row seat in witnessing what delights, inspires and speaks to people during their travel adventures. 

I have done my best to take note. 

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In 2014, I co-founded Wide Open Writing and helped organize, plan and facilitate eight successful retreats in six different countries.  In 2018, I founded Duende Retreats, further expanding retreat offerings in the UK where I now live with my husband Ben and our one and a half year old, Luke. 

 

My retreats have been featured in Yoga Magazine, The Write Life, Writing Magazine and Project Calm.  

I have Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of North Texas and an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. I teach, freelance, coach writing and I'm passionate about holding space and supporting my fellow writers wherever they find themselves on their creative journeys.   I've just finished my first memoir.         

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MY Past retreats Have Been featured in

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