HELLO!

I’m Robyn – outdoor girl, spiritual ecologist, writer, gardener, beekeeper. Mom to two transgender adults, one dog and a handful of chickens. Collector of pinecones and feathers, stones and shells. A fierce defender of racial, cultural and gender equality and diversity. Part Xena Warrior Princess, part Snow White. A huge dose of Corvid curiosity and playfulness. Working on growing into my Caileach phase. (yes, please ask me what that is!)

I live on 5 acres sandwiched between the Puget Sound and the Cascade mountains, just a bit north of Seattle. My partner and I are rebuilding a mobile home from the studs up, just us and the dog. It’s a big project we (mostly) love doing. I wonder if we’ll ever be done with it.

I love to write, but I don’t do it enough. I get started, life happens and suddenly it’s a year later. But every experience in my life is processed through the lens of how it would fall on the page.

I especially love writing about the outdoors and how we are changed by our experiences in it. Nature has a unique ability to shift our perspective, allowing us to truly see. I slow down, breathe, and recharge away from man-made surfaces, lighting and sounds. I don’t head for the woods or beach to escape, I do it to become present again. It’s why we bought these five acres – after being stuck in the city during the pandemic, we both needed home to be where we feel whole.

The mountains and waterways of the Cascadia bioregion are my homelands. I love to explore and someday when I have “free time” again, I will camp and hike and explore backroads, getting Jasper, my Subaru’s four wheel drive back into action. My favorite thing to do is find a tiny road on a map and go see what’s at the end of it. I believe our time playing outdoors exploring and challenging ourselves settles us into our true place in the larger world. It allows us to become more of who we really are.

As much as Nature gives to me, I am duty-bound to give back. By sharing my experiences in the outdoors, I give her a voice and a way to educate and connect with readers who may never experience snow-melt streams, the smell of lightning or the breathtaking awe of alpenglow. Without understanding what is in need of protection, why else would we choose to do so? Helping people be better stewards of the planet and their souls is my life work

The writing you will find here is deeply personal – not because I  have a particularly interesting life, but because, more than anything, I want to dispel the myth that we are alone in this world. I hope readers gain a better understanding  of the challenges we face on a path to a more authentic, rewarding life. In putting words to often difficult emotions and situations, I seek to be a voice for those who have lost theirs. My life has so far been a hodge-podge of rather unique events that have taught me to pay attention, be compassionate, and above all, love fiercely.

What else do you need to know about me?

I work in the conservation non-profit realm but can’t seem to stay away from also working in the outdoor industry during the winter. I have extensive public speaking experience and have been flown places to speak to people in suits at expensive conferences. I’ve also done a bit of  teaching – mostly classes and workshops on creativity and writing for adults, but some kid’s stuff too. After a dangerous reaction to a prescription drug, I stopped the public speaking thing because sometimes it’s hard to communicate clearly. Suffering mild aphasia has taught me much about disability, people’s perception of you when you (try to) communicate, and self-forgiveness.

I am an advocate and ally for the differently-abled, for those with hidden disabilities or illnesses and for the LGTBQ+ community. I am a safe space, but I am also learning. I make mistakes and keep trying. I believe that compassion makes everything possible.

I have a MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. My essays, fiction and nonfiction have been published in a variety of  newsletters, online literary journals and print publications. A long time ago, I won a couple minor awards, not that anyone would remember. I’ve done a bunch of professional content writing, social media and marketing stuff and I have a pretty interesting resume if you ever want to see it. And yes, of course I have the partially complete novel hidden in a drawer somewhere. That is practically a requirement of calling yourself a writer isn’t it?

I collect books of nature writing, memoirs that feature nature, stories by or about people who live in, or interact with, nature, novels that treat nature as a character. I’m especially interested in how we connect to our landscape – or maybe it’s more how our lived-in landscape forms the edges of who we are.

Pour yourself some tea (or  your adult beverage of choice) and check out some posts – recent ones are below,  stuff is listed by category in the upper right hand corner. Let me know what you think.

Want to know more? Send me an email. Let’s be friends.