Welcome, I’m Elle.

I’m not sure how you found your way here, but I’m happy you did. This little corner of the internet, Chasing Whippoorwills, is a place where I report on life’s little twist and turns. And whatever twist or turn led you here, I’m happy that I can share that journey with you.

The content here is a variation on several themes, depending on season; it’s one part wellness, one part theology, and another part adventure. Much of what I write involves simply the tension and struggle to create a life I’m proud of, and to live my life in such a way that I help awaken possibility in others. And, hopefully? Whenever possible, I can invite people into my joy. Sometimes, I write about the revelations that have helped me to succeed in those aspirations. And yet other times I write about the struggle of finding such revelations. But I suppose that’s something you experience too? The gap between the person you are, and the person you want to become? The dissonance between the life you have, and the life you’re dreaming of? I know for me, there is a consistent struggle between living in contentment, while not yielding to compliance.   

And when I’m in the in-between, I write. Chasing Whippoorwills is that narrative, or you might say, the field notes, from my in-between. 

Here’s a few additional things about me, just to catch you up if you’re curious:

  • Between the ages of 11 and 22 you could figure out what I weighed by adding a 0 to my age; the highest weight I’m aware of having shouldered on my 5’2” frame, was 220 lbs. (Technically, that is a BMI that qualifies me as being ‘morbidly obese.’) These days, my weight mostly hangs out around 80 lbs. less than that; but more to the point, I think a lot, and write a lot, about food, body image, and being well. Despite being a mostly ‘healthy weight,’ I still remember well my ‘fat girl’ perspective.
  • In a related note, I’m presently working on a masters in Human Nutrition from the University of Western States.
  • I was born in Kansas, but I’ve been living in the Pacific Northwest since 2011. I have a slight obsession with paradox, and the contrast of being from Kansas, but being in love with the Mountains, is not lost on me.

  • I grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist church, so my Christian perspective is heavily influenced by SDA theology; I’m presently not not-Adventist, but I’m also well aware of owning the title ‘badventist.’ Authenticity tends to prevail, so my writing will reflect that. You’ve been warned.
  • On that note, I love theology, and maybe spend as much time reading about that as I do about nutrition. It’s actually my first love, so don’t get me started talking about being a Jesus Feminist… unless of course, you really do want to talk about being a Jesus Feminist. In which case, let’s make ourselves a pot of coffee, and get to it.
  • Jessica Fletcher is my hero. Be worried, or not, as you determine necessary.

  • My undergraduate degree was in classical humanities which, among other things, meant I studied two years of Ancient Greek, and a year of Latin. I am not fluent… but I do feel as though it ought to guarantee me nerd points.
  • At times, my fantasy life pertaining to the tiny house movement, takes on not-tiny magnitudes.
  • When I take those personality kinds of test (which I enjoy way too much) I consistently check in as an INFP, a highly sensitive person, and Enneagram 4. If you don’t know what that means— I will summarize by saying, I like to feel my feelings— a lot. Again, you’ve been warned.

As a final matter of business, I rarely leave comments enabled on the blog, but I do welcome feedback. I simply don’t enjoy doing it in the comments here. So, you can find me other places on the internet, over at Twitter and Instagram, and I would love it if you wanted to say hi! On that note, I hope you’ll poor yourself a cuppa, make yourself welcome, and I invite you to explore.

Cheers,

~Elle