Come Join Me This Saturday at Lake Louisa State Park for Nature Fest, or Virtually, for a Live Reading of My Next Essay, “Campfire Beside the Prairie”

This Saturday, March 28th, I’ll be appearing at a live event at Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont, Florida, and then later at a virtual event to read my next essay to be published in Thorn & Bloom magazine. Both will cater to nature lovers.

First will be Nature Fest at Lake Louisa State Park, a celebration of my favorite state park and one I talked about quite a bit in my book, Finding My Way Home: Fighting Depression Backpacking in Central Florida. I’ll be there selling and signing copies of Finding My Way Home with other vendors near the beach by Lake Louisa.

Nature Fest is a family friendly one-day celebration of nature that is free to attend to anyone paying the state park’s $5-per-vehicle entry fee. Hosted by the Friends of Lake Louisa State Park, Nature Fest will include tram tours of the park, one hour nature walks hosted by park rangers, the chance to see birds of prey brought by the Avian Reconditioning Center and to dig for bones at the excavation area, and a drawing to win prizes (including a copy of my book).

Anyone who has read my book knows how passionate I am about Lake Louisa State Park. Referred to affectionately in my book as “LL,” Lake Louisa State Park has miles and miles of trails through forests and sand hills, two primitive campsites, cabins, glamping tents, and pretty lakes. It’s also a great place to cycle, kayak, take a guided horseback ride, and watch sunsets. I taught myself how to backpack there in January of 2024 and return there often to hike. Nature Fest is a great way to learn more about the place I now consider a second home.

For those who live outside Central Florida, I also welcome you to join me virtually for Thorn & Bloom magazine’s Live Author Reading event on the same day, Saturday, March 28th, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST (noon to 2:00 p.m. PST), where other authors and I will be presenting our essays and poems that will be published on March 31st in Thorn & Bloom‘s next issue. I am slated to read at 3:35 p.m. EST (12:35 p.m. PST).

The readings will be of essays and poems centered around Issue 5’s theme, Rooted and Ruptured. My creative nonfiction essay, “Campfire Beside the Prairie,” explores how my meticulous campfire construction habits help me commune with the places where I backpack and reflect other eccentric personality traits that have helped me cope with depression. This event will be similar to Thorn & Bloom‘s Live Author Reading event I attended last September, where I read my essay titled “Cognitive Distortion.” The event is free, although they ask attendees to register in advance and invite them to make a small donation.

Thorn & Bloom is a quarterly publication dedicated to exploring the transformative power of self-care as a pathway to personal and collective liberation. It seeks to inspire its readers to break free from expectations and redefine their lives on their own terms.

Thanks in advance to anyone who joins me!