Kim McMahill

This time last year I was busy preparing for a trip to Costa Rica. The country was magnificent and made me anxious to explore more of Central America. Other than a quick trip into Belize to visit some Mayan ruins and a day at the beach on Isla Rotan in Honduras, I’ve never spent any significant time in Central America. We flew into San Jose and stayed a couple of nights in the city before venturing out. The culture and history were fascinating, but only the beginning to what this country has to offer. We then explored the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, the Central Valley and the North. We hiked through pristine rain forests, enjoyed the Pacific coast beaches, visited coffee plantations and small villages, watched as Arenal erupted and soaked in mineral pools heated by the volcano, but the highlight had to be the time we spent at Tortuguero. Tortuguero (see picture above) is only accessible by small aircraft (though the airstrip was closed for repairs while we were there) or a lengthy bo...

My work has allowed me to spend time is some of the most beautiful places in America. Having just returned from two weeks in the Jackson Hole area, I can’t help but acknowledge how lucky I am. And, it’s no wonder that I became a writer. Nothing inspires more than watching elk move through the morning mist on a frigid fall day in Grand Teton National Park or listening to the explosive roar of lava as it enters the ocean at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Being in places where cell phone coverage is sparse and televisions are absent forces me to look at my surroundings and contemplate the tales rattling around in my head. My recent visit to Wyoming was consumed with work and spending time with family and friends, so I didn’t do a lot of writing, but as always, I’ve come home motivated to turn real life adventures into fictitious stories set in exciting and amazing locations at home and around the world.