The Professional Stuff
A man of many distractions, I guess I could call myself a writer and educator, retired (as of 2022). I earned both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington (1991 and 1998, respectively). In June, 2015, I earned my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University.
My educational career has stretched from elementary to high school, from classroom teacher to associate principal (with the occasional adult learning workshop). In 2022 I had the bittersweet celebration that comes with retiring--after 31 years.
The Personal Stuff
A Washington State native, I grew up in the port town of Everett. After graduating from Everett High School, I moved to Bellingham where I earned my teaching degree, returning to Everett as an elementary teacher (and eventual Assistant Principal).
In 1995 I met my husband Shayne and moved to Seattle; in 2000, we adopted our youngest son Dmitry from Russia (he was 17 months old at the time). Soon after, we moved from our home in Central Seattle to rural life on a five-acre piece of land in Kingston, WA. I returned to the classroom as a teacher, and stayed there for a good while before stepping into the role of high school Associate Principal.
Not content with a small family, Shayne and I brought two wonderful foster boys into our home, adopting them a year later into our "forever family."
Today, the whole brood is more or less out of the nest, each trying to make the world a more interesting place.
The Other Stuff
Besides reading, writing and appreciating great films, I'm a huge travel nut. In the past 30 years, I've traveled over much of the world, including Southeast Asia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Russia, Guatemala, Belize, Morocco Nepal, Japan and here and there in Europe (France, Spain, Italy, Germany). In 2025 we took the leap and purchased a home in southern France, both as an investment and a beautiful spot to get away and recalibrate. As for my French--J'apprends!