“To the Family on the Overnight Train,” Contrary Magazine, April 2022
I arrived first. Empty, the train compartment welcomed me with silence and glorious space. A temporary respite while I got sorted out. Years of travelling on the fly had taught me that solutions could be invented for every problem, even if far from perfect.
“Keen to avoid public transportation, a fair-weather cyclist re-evaluates winter biking,” CBC First Person, December 2021
I’m a staunch cyclist, but winter was always off bounds. Until the pandemic
“The Atlas,” Montana Mouthful, October 2021
We buy the atlas the night before driving around Iceland’s infamous ring road. It’s a last minute, impulse purchase, which provokes a heated discussion because I’m of the no-stuff, let’s-use-our-phone-GPS ilk, while my partner loves the feel of paper and is concerned that we might go off course.
“Walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela,” The Refresh, January 2019
In the fiery orange of dawn, I cross the old San Marcos Bridge out of León, Spain. It’s early, but I’m far from alone. My first Camino day will be a 20-kilometer segment, with the goal of reaching Santiago de Compostela’s grand Cathedral in two weeks. I’m confident I can do it because this is Camino 2.0 for me.
“Cleo,” Flash Fiction Magazine, December 2017:
Every part of my body is sweating—my forehead, my armpits, even my delicates. The guy had professed a love of surprises and old movies, so I roll myself in a carpet for our first date. What the hell, I’m always up for a little drama, and my genuine Afghan rug hadn’t seen much action since I became single.
“Me and Sir Paul,” Nashwaak Review, Vol. 36-37, Fall 2016:
“I’m here to meet Paul McCartney,” I say, assessing the bartender as a potential friend. It’s my first time in New York City and I want to be careful. “I mean, Sir Paul.”
“Single and dating in my 40s: It’s no fairytale,” Globe and Mail, May 2011:
Single and 40, I moved back to Toronto after a decade of working on human-rights projects in developing countries. I was ready to settle down and find a soulmate, preferably one who liked to travel and could locate Afghanistan on a map.
“My 10 Day Ontario Road Trip,” Northern Ontario Magazine, April 2022
In search of Group of Seven landscapes, one family discovers butter tarts, the Wawa Goose, and epic Lake Superior views along the way.
“On Behalf of the World’s Witches, We’re Damn Tired of All the Judgment,” Little Old Lady Comedy, October 2021
It’s not easy being the Fairest Of Them All. We’re on top of it, checking in with our trusty mirror every day. The worst is after a night of tequila shots or arriving home in the wee hours after a walk of shame. Still, we do it for our subjects.
“Cosmopolitan,” Potato Soup Journal, October 2020
Expectedly thrown. I lick syrupy droplets. Only the ice hurts.
“An Evening Out,” Ariel Chart, August 2019
Celeste strides across the restaurant parking lot trailed by her husband, who is walking at a more leisurely pace. Without a reservation, Celeste is keen to get inside and sort out a table.
Slosh! Celeste stops to brush muddy water off her boots. Behind her, Henry is now only footsteps away. Celeste presses on. Inside, she examines the room. Almost all the tables are occupied. No, all the tables have patrons.
“Finding Solitude in Jordan’s Desert,” Nashwaak Review, Vol. 38-39, Winter 2018
It’s early morning in Rum village, gateway to Jordan’s Wadi Rum desert. Camels idle at the roadside, boys play nearby in an empty square, a sweep of austere one-story brick buildings springs up just beyond. Bedouin villagers stride with purpose in the street. Rum bursts with activity as our taxi pulls into a parking lot brimming with other vehicles and sightseers.
“After working abroad, I can’t find a job in Canada,” Globe and Mail, October 2011:
After taking the summer off to relax and regroup, I’m back to the job of looking for a job. In today’s economy, searching for work is daunting, the competition relentless. Combine that with trying to jump-start a new career and it’s like climbing Mount Everest without oxygen.