Jun 18, 2019
Growing up, family summer vacations in a rented
Winnebago meant traveling to the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico
among others. In this
episode, Kim talks about playing games with her
siblings on the drives and running around in the open
space.
'Wanderlust' is a word she uses to describe her
family, "We were always going somewhere."
Her
love of photography grew from taking trips to all the places Huell
Howser featured on his California's Gold television
show.
Though
coming to live in the desert was a dream come true, Kim experienced
anxiety about work and money early on, which at times was so
strong, she could barely breathe. In the process, she applied
for a house - and got it - and then applied for a job - and got it.
One might think the desert was welcoming Kim with a little bit of a
test, as only the desert can.
In her
role as a Professor in the Child Development program at Copper
Mountain College, she works to prepare students for careers in
child care and says the program is also a great foundation for
elementary school teachers and classes also benefit parents looking
for a better understanding of their children or themselves. If
you're interested, Kim can talk with you about the program:
760-366-3791 x0452.
Since
Kim moved to the desert knowing no one, she began following
photographers or other creatives whose work she came to like on
social media. She also started attending open mic poetry readings
hosted by Space Cowboy Books and Cholla Needles in Joshua Tree,
which lead her to writing a sci-fi piece, read on a recent episode
of 'Simultaneous
Times' podcast. You
can hear Kim's story in Episode 14 here.
Discovering the book, 'A Wrinkle in Time',
was what drew Kim in to the world of sci-fi. Though when she tried
to watch Star Trek with her dad and grandpa, she was told, "this is
what the grown ups or guys watch", which, of course, made it even
more intriguing. She
admires and is inspired by the work of African-American sci-fi
writer Octavia Butler, as well as Poet Laureate outgoing, Tracy K.
Smith.