About me

You know those talks about the importance of "stepping out of our comfort zone"? 

Those always confused me. 

I needed a talk on how to find a comfort zone — and then how to stay inside it.

After driving my parents up the wall as a rebellious teen, hitchhiking across the country at 15 (a story for another time, perhaps), dropping my university classes to live and work in Central America — I seemed to be well on my way to a life of adventure.

But it wasn't until I found journalism that the excitement truly kicked in. 

Feature writing gave me a reason to delve into people's stories, lives and passions. It let me dig into an issue or cause I cared about, and the freedom to share what I'd found.

From the outside, my life might not look so thrilling. 

I grew up near Vancouver and live in Toronto. I ended up returning to finish my undergraduate arts degree at the University of British Columbia and went on to earn a master’s degree in journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University. 

I started out as a magazine feature writer for publications like Toronto Life and Readers' Digest and as a producer at CBC Radio. I then built a career as an advancement communications specialist at the University of Toronto and most recently launched an independent writing and consulting service.

When we’re not working, my husband and I spend our time driving our two school-age kids around to soccer, swimming and birthday parties. 

Excited yet? I cherish and delight in my career and family — but it’s not quite the thrill-seeking lifestyle I’d imagined for myself.

But then, I get to spend my days meeting fascinating people, and writing about them.

So while my "life on paper" has me working, parenting and carpooling away (to the astonishment of friends who knew me way back when), I’m also connecting with that family of refugee claimants whose application was denied after a 10-year wait and who were told they'd be deported back to a country their kids have never known. 

Or learning how a local lawyer decided to undergo deep brain stimulation for her unrelenting depression. 

Or diving into complex areas of research, which are helping uncover new insights and understanding of our bodies, minds and world. 

We can all appear one-dimensional on the surface. But on the inside, we each have unique and fascinating stories. As a writer, I get to share these through compelling storytelling — pulling readers into lives, dreams and ideas they might not otherwise experience.

(You can read some of these stories here, find out more about my areas of focus and services here and see some of the awards I’ve received for my writing below.)  

I can’t imagine a more adventurous life, and I can’t wait to meet you.