Searching: A Biologist's Journey

WINNER OF THE 2023 NANCY PEARL AWARD "Cabreza has written a wonderfully engaging memoir. She expertly weaves together moments of heart-pounding adventure and moments of quiet, profound reflection. The result is a compelling story of a life lived with admirable gusto and deep thoughtfulness. I enjoyed every minute of it." (Daniel James Brown, author of Boys in the Boat and Facing the Mountain) Part cultural travelogue, part wildlife encounters and part dangerous, risk-filled adventure, this fascinating memoir follows the journey of a young female biologist during the 1950s-1970s, who was disillusioned with the country and frustrated by the conservative gender and social confines of the 1960s Midwest. At age twelve, inspired by a Life Magazine article, she developed an ambitious global goal list. She set out to accomplish it, eventually leaving the States for two decades of real-world adventures living in the Costa Rican Jungle, Hawaii, Asia, the Philippines, and Guam. She left searching for adventure, but along the way, she also battled family opposition, the frustrations of working in a male-dominated field, the invisible tentacles of the new Vietnam war, and the unconventional challenges of an interracial/intercultural marriage during an era when this was very unconventional. The adventures and dangers she faced helped her rediscover her country, find her life's passion, and eventually discover her faith. The story provides a valuable message for young people, about how going against what is considered "normal" allowed her to discover a world far greater than she could ever have imagined. Joan's forty-year career in biology and environmental protection spans research, academia, consulting, and government service. After her years abroad, she spent twenty-three years with the federal Environmental Protection Agency in Seattle and later edited the Aquatic Invasive Species Newsletter for the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission in Portland. She has lectured extensively on environmental programs, invasive species, gardening to attract wildlife, and native plants. A world traveler and Master Gardener emeritus, she lives outside Seattle with her husband Carlos, a large organic garden, a flock of chickens, and occasionally, a great blue heron. Adventure memoir; Women's memoir; Inspirational memoir; Adventure travel; Adventurous life; Spiritual seeking; Seeking God; Biological adventures; Guam adventures; Philippine adventure; Midwestern 1960s; Glen Ellyn Illinois