You have just arrived to the foothills of Appalachia! Gather 'round the fire ring, take a load off your feet, and let's share a story. My name is Traci Musick-Shaffer, and I am a "place-based" writer. As such, I prefer to write about my surroundings but don't necessarily limit myself to just culture, history, or to the lay of the land. Sometimes I prefer to think beyond my immediate landscape. Overall, I just prefer to write. As a teacher, guest speaker, thinker, and writer, I believe life is better when considered from various angles. Since I was little, I have always enjoyed musing, daydreaming, and ultimately writing out those thoughts and dreams. Come along with me as I explore life from my front porch, my garden, or hiking around the hills in which I live in southern Ohio. Because here, poet Mary Oliver pokes her paper-scratching pencil at me and gently reminds, "One day you finally knew what you had to do and began."