A Return Trip to East Africa

What does it mean to go back to a place? I’ve been back a month now from my last big international travels, a month-long trip to Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The trip was spurred by the fact I knew I needed to get the stories of African volcanoes into my current book project. It was …

The Latest on Volcanoes (In My Life)

Volcanoes have been in the news a lot lately. There is the ongoing eruption of K­īlauea, on the Big Island of HawaiÊ»i. Then the news of a decapitated Roman excavated in the ruins of Pompeii, Italy. And then the heart-breaking news out of Guatemala, where the eruption of the Fuego volcano has claimed dozens, maybe …

In the News: Story from My Alma Mater

My alma mater, Pacific Lutheran University, just published a story profiling me as an author and national park ranger. If you'd like to learn a little more about motivates me everyday, including in my jobs as a writer, park ranger, and traveler, head over to http://www.plu.edu/marcom/news/2016/08/01/park-ranger-plog/ I am grateful for all the study abroad opportunities …

Announcing the Full List of Stories (and Bits of Bad Travel Advice) in Make Sure You Have a Map

What’s the worst travel advice you’ve ever been given? I have been given advice both good and bad before my travels, and am happy to announce the titles of twenty stories of travel advice I am glad I ignored, travel lesson I had to learn along the way as I explored more than a dozen …