Sarah Whelan, Natural

In the Odyssey Storytelling Podcast's first episode of 2019 -- the year that marks Odyssey's 15th anniversary -- we celebrate our origins with Sarah Whelan. In October of 2016, Sarah told a story about her relationship with Tucson, Odyssey's home city, and how she ultimately fell in love with it. She took the stage during the "Natural" show, which was the show this podcast used for its first individual story episode, and remains our show's best-represented live event. From Sarah's Odyssey bio: Things you may or may not want to know (a listicle): Is grateful to be here. Has finally made peace with the fact that she just can't do a cartwheel no matter how hard she tries. Enjoys getting lost in a good book and out in wild places. Most days you'll find her nose deep in her work with The Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection or out tooling around town on her bike taking in the sky. Her favorite part of the day is when it's silent. Is a person, poet, award winning marketer, day dreamer, fundraiser, artist, event organizer, wild card, problem solver, conservation biologist, lover of iced coffee, singer of songs, planter of seeds, and has never once been known to have good balance or coordination but somehow manages. Spends most of her time at home stretching it out on her yoga mat, tinkering around her garden and hanging with her dogs. Hates Bananas. Is an avid supporter of naps, silly songs, and kazoos. Believes a good meal is made great with the right company and that there is always room at the table. Agrees with the idea that through the act of storytelling we can take a moment to be vulnerable with one another and connect in a way that supports us in being+ kinder and more understanding of each other. This episode was performed and recorded in front of a live audience at The Screening Room in Tucson, AZ, on October 6th, 2016, and was curated by Tony Paniagua. For more information about Odyssey Storytelling, please visit www.odysseystorytelling.com