The Girl in the Red Rubber Boots

Author: Emily Sara Smucker

  • Adventure Boots

    —

    by

    Emily Sara Smucker
    in ,

    “Do you think I should take my rubber boots on this trip?” I asked my brother Ben, as we planned our camping adventures. “You might as well, if there’s room in the car,” said Ben. “They might come in handy.” Sure enough, the first trail we hiked was soggy and muddy. I ran back to…

  • The Redwoods Expedition (Part 2)

    —

    by

    Emily Sara Smucker
    in

    (Read part 1 here) I woke up to the sun streaming through the windows of Elaine’s van, shining on the orange pillows and vintage suitcases. “Yes! Maybe it will finally warm up in here,” I thought, curling deeper into my sleeping bag. It had been a rather cold night. I heard a rustle of tent…

  • The Redwoods Expedition (Part 1)

    —

    by

    Emily Sara Smucker
    in

    I resented daylight savings when I got up early Monday morning to take my last final of the term, but as evening rolled around I was so thankful for it. “Maybe we’ll have just enough time to set up our tent before it gets dark,” said Ashlie, leaning over the seat. I held my phone…

  • I’ll Live when I’m Old

    —

    by

    Emily Sara Smucker
    in

    I caught some sort of illness after I came back from Thailand that took everything. out. of. me. I thought it was jet lag at first, but it didn’t go away for weeks. I dropped half my classes and slogged through life. I carry ill health around with me like a coiled spring in a…

  • The Thing About Spring 

    —

    by

    Emily Sara Smucker
    in

    Spring is my favorite season. … You know how it is near the end of a book, where things just get worse and worse and more dramatic and misunderstandings mount, and then whoosh! You reach the climax. The ring falls into the volcano, Ella enchanted breaks her curse, Captain Hook falls into the jaws of…

  • Writing is Just Hard

    —

    by

    Emily Sara Smucker
    in

    Uggghhhhhh writing is so haaaaaaaarrrrrrd. Why? Shouldn’t it be easy, so long as you learned how to type in high school? Just put your fingers on the keys, and, “beep beep boop!” Transfer your thoughts to the electronic equivalent of paper. Right? I mean, come on, fingers. You haven’t posted in a month and a…

  • The Longest Christmas of my Life

    —

    by

    Emily Sara Smucker
    in

    Hour 1.0 to hour 8.5 One last time, I slept on Amy’s brown leather couch, the soft tropical breezes drifting through the screen door. I rarely have insomnia when I’m in Thailand. Or maybe I do, but the night is so beautiful through the wide windows that I don’t even notice. I dreamed that I…

  • More Flight Drama

    —

    by

    Emily Sara Smucker
    in

    “I’m sorry, but you can’t fly through Tianjin without a visa.” “What?” “You need to call your travel agent and get another ticket home.” “But…what?” We stood at the checkin desk, bags packed, ready to go home. The lady at the desk looked sympathetic, but she really couldn’t do anything. Our ticket was from Chiang…

  • Failures in English Teaching

    —

    by

    Emily Sara Smucker
    in

    Nestled in the jungle outside of Chiangmai is the Night Safari. It’s just like any other glorified zoo, except instead of viewing the animals by day, you view them at night.  Exciting, huh? When I last came to Thailand, just over a year ago, I declined the opportunity to go on a night safari tour…

  • Into the Thick of Things

    —

    by

    Emily Sara Smucker
    in

    I was an angel but I had no wings. I fluttered the tails of my long white sweater, hoping the children would get the picture. “I am an angel,” I announced, in case there was any doubt. “My name is Gabriel. I have come from God with a special message for you.” I spoke slowly,…