Wanderlove (36 page)

A C K N O W L E D G M E N TS

I would like to thank:

Bryson Allen, my first and favorite backpacking partner, whom I knew I’d marry the moment I saw him scream with sheer joy at the sight of a baby iguana in Costa Rica.

Michelle Andelman, my brilliant agent, advocate, and literary soul mate; as well as the teams at both Lynn C. Franklin Associates and Regal Literary.

Everyone at Delacorte Press, especially my editors, Michelle Poploff and Rebecca Short. They know just how to deepen, mend, and enrich. I once heard someone say, “My editor helped me write the book I thought I’d already written,” and that’s exactly right.

My mother, Marcia, for serenading me throughout my childhood with tales of her solo trip across Europe, and for initiating all this Central America madness with a simple question: “How about Belize?” My father, Doug, for the crazy stories from his years wrangling grizzlies and crashing cars for the film industry, which inspired me to seek out a colorful life. My twin sister, Danielle, whom I will take backpacking one of these days. My wonderful in-laws, the Allens. My poor dog, Sky, for being such a trooper when I’m gone.

Michelle Haft, Rachel Arceo, Catherine Demdam, Jenny Hicks, Lisa McCune, Kristin Allen, Amanda Castro, and my other backpacking buddies and travel companions, including all the friends and family who joined me for my wedding on a certain Belizean island I couldn’t get out of my head.

All my amazing writer pals, online and off, especially Michelle Schusterman, Kate Hart, Amanda Hannah, Kristin Miller, Kaitlin Ward, Emilia Plater, and the other girls of YA Highway—for support, critiques, and hilarity in the margins of my manuscripts Someday, we will all travel together. It will be epic.

My art teachers at the Watts Atelier of the Arts who encouraged my art despite my enrollment gaps and numerous travel absences; my singular high school art teacher, Jay Shelton; and again, my mother, the artist, who knows I’m not truly happy unless I’m drawing. Also, my patient figure models, Danielle, Kristin, and Bryson.

About.com, particularly the other travel guides and our editor, Brian Spencer. My years as the Guide to Central America Travel have kept me immersed in my favorite places—many of which are included, some thinly disguised, in
Wanderlove.

Last but not least, all the extraordinary people I’ve met on my travels, including travel writers, hotel owners, and Central American ministers of tourism—but also the man who helped me save the baby myna bird in Koh Chang, and that little Mayan girl who hugged my knees in Panajachel, and the literature professor with whom I shared a train car across Croatia, and the woman who painted my face in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. I’ll never forget.

A B O U T   T H E   AU T H O R

A travel writer and young adult author, Kirsten Hubbard has danced in a Serbian nightclub (self-consciously), been slapped in the face by a Thai monkey, discovered all manner of alarming creatures (including tarantulas) in hostel beds, and greeted the sunrise from atop the highest temple at Guatemala’s Tikal ruins.

She prefers backpacks over suitcases, brings sketchbooks on every trip, and has served as the Guide to Central America Travel for About.com since 2006. When she’s not off wandering, she lives in San Diego, California. She is the author of
Like
Mandarin,
also available from Delacorte Press.