The Hummingbird Chronicles

January 25, 2026I meet Joe Koenen for a chat at Lakeview Cemetery in Capitol Hill. As we visit Bruce Lee’s grave, he shares more about the man behind the legend. How did Bruce Lee become a master who could knock a grown man back several feet with no visible wind up? How did he become the first Asian-American global superstar?🥊1,000 Punches and where to throw them☕️ Espresso in the Emerald City✌️ Sanctuary in Seattle🍄 Hot cocoa for chaotic timesMake my day and buy me a coffee! Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe

January 8th, 2026:The Big Dark settles on Seattle and I am coping with long walks and sweet treats. On one of those walks, I stumble on Beacon Food Forest! I share a chai and a chat with the site director, Rebeca Bonilla-Myers, and reflect on if the honor’s system can actually work.🌱A tonic for the end of hibernation season⛴️ An ode to Seattle’s public transit🍑 The future is free🤖 Whose imagination will our grandchildren live in? Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe

November 20th, 2025:Tucked next to Pike Place Market is a hub for travelers who carry their homes on their backs. This month, I get a peak behind the scenes of hostel life as a volunteer at The Green Tortoise. I take you through a day in my life as a work exchanger and have coffee with Tiffani- artist, chef, and long term work trader.🥜 My go-to stew for a big group on a small budget🍽️ How to cook less and eat better🐮 Can you co-op anything?🐢The Things We Carry🎵 Tortoise By: Near Peak Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe

October 30th, 2025:Using my creativity, I stitch together a writer’s retreat on two islands off the coast of Seattle. As I soak in my last few days in a cottage by the sea, I reflect on the precarious art of creating something new.🍕What I cook when I’m trying to seduce The Muse🧳Packing like Mary Poppins🐚How to become a traveling house-sitter🎵Down to the Sea By: Elephant Revival Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe

September 11, 2025: Fireweed turns to cotton and the Wrangell Mountains change color. One by one, the businesses on main street go to sleep for the winter until finally, it’s my last day in McCarthy. Before we shuttle out to Anchorage, I have a chat with Tabi, a seasonal worker with 14 years of experience under her belt.This episode takes a closer look at the ups and downs of a migratory life. Then, I pack my bags and get ready to fly to my next destination.So you wanna try seasonal work? Cool Works is a great place to start. Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe

August 12, 2025: I spend the morning getting some much-needed perspective on a flight through Wrangell St. Elias National Park. Then, I zoom in on the tallest mountain in the Wrangells and share a story about the first woman-led expedition in Alaska. Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe

July 22, 2025: Fireweed is in full bloom, leaving bright purple splashes all over McCarthy, Kennicott, and the surrounding mountains. Meanwhile, I am recovering from a tequila soaked night that ended with a sprained ankle and a makeout on Main Street.This episode is a midsummer peak at my diary as I write through my thoughts on wildfires, wildflowers, and wild women. Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe

July 5, 2025: After working the busiest day of the year in McCarthy, I head up to the museum to have a chat with Patt Garrett.Affectionately known around here as Grandma Patt, she shares about a woman who became a successful entrepreneur, land owner, and philanthropist in the early days of McCarthy.What starts as a conversation about Kate Kennedy turns into a hilarious chat that weaves together the parallel lives of Patt and Kate.So, what did it take for a woman to make her way in a man’s world? What does it take today? Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe

July 7th, 2025: By day, they are your bartenders, housekeepers, cooks, and wilderness guides. But tonight, they tighten their corsets, pull up their suspenders, and transform into the town theatre company to tell the story of the ghosts of McCarthy.But one ghost in particular has intrigued me since I got here- Rose. What started as a stroll through the McCarthy graveyard leads me to a chat with Hugh Hall, the playwright who is in town.Set against the backdrop of Cheyenne painting a mural, Hugh and I have a coffee and a chat about the history of McCarthy and the women who made it here. Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe

June 23, 2025: I am settling into my summer job as a barista in McCarthy and spend a day mining for stories up in Kennicott, all while wrestling with the idea of responsible story telling.Do I have any right to form an opinion about a place that I will be leaving in three months? Can I avoid being just another content creator that scratches the surface without diving deep? Are my own experiences as a nomad, a creator, and a woman worth sharing?Dive deeper into the history of the Kennicott River Valley through this interview with Margot Higgins and lots of other resources from the Wrangell Mountains Center. Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe

June 12, 2025: Beads of sweat are forming on my lower back as I haul my bags through the streets of Chicago and off to an unexpected new destination.In this episode, I stumble my way through another transition, hop on a plane, have a surprising cup of coffee, and cross a footbridge into the next chapter of The Hummingbird Chronicles.So, do you wanna get out of here? Press play to come along for the ride! Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe

When you find yourself walking through a dark time, artists are the ones who will light your way through. We need those sensitive souls who protect the spark of creativity in themselves and use it to warm up their communities.So, why do so many artists find themselves isolated, struggling, and barely scraping by? This week, I spent a few days with a little community in Hyde Park. The Fireplace is a sanctuary that values activism, artists, and spiritual seekers. In this episode, I have a cup of tea with Abby, a resident of the community, and share an ode to artists.📍The FireplaceMore art, activism, and community care🔥 The Fireplace is looking for new residents and connections! Visit their website to learn more or contact them to attend a community dinner on Tuesdays or Thursdays.🔥 To hear more from Abby Rampone, check out her brand new Substack, Love in Community.🔥 Watch The Greatest Night in Pop to see the making of “We are the World.”🔥 Harry Belafonte’s thoughts on art and activism. Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe

This episode of the podcast is really just me trying to make some sense of the strange way I’ve been living for the last few years. As an in betweener, I spend my time fluttering between wildly different worlds.So, here’s a taste of what life is like as a hummingbird.📍 Rutledge, MissouriLearn more about…Dancing Rabbit EcovillageThe Hub Collective Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe

How do you return to your community after you've made a mistake? What about after making a big mistake, one that lands you in prison?Do you live with that label forever? Do you ever get to take it off?In this episode, I flutter to Wheaton, Illinois and have a cup of coffee with Pete Leonard. He is a man who cross-pollinated his love of coffee, his technology skills, and his belief in second chances into one business model.To learn more about I Have a Bean, check out their website! Get full access to The Hummingbird Chronicles at thehummingbirdchronicles.substack.com/subscribe