Be careful what you wish for - you just might get it. After dreaming for years about living in a beautiful resort town, Emily Eddins and her husband moved in a post 9/11 panic from Washington, D.C., to peaceful Truckee, a small mountain town in California. They quickly learned that their dreams may have been misguided. Altitude Adjustment is a collection of humorous vignettes that reveal Emily's wry take on life in a quirky ski town.
This modern-day cautionary tale details a series of athletic and social slip-ups that Emily never could have imagined before moving to her winter wonderland. A marginally sporty, uptight urbanite, Emily was shocked to discover she could not compete physically or socially in a culture that places a premium on outdoor fitness above all else.
Anyone who has contemplated making the move from big city life to a small town can appreciate the author's experience of loneliness, anxiety and self-doubt in her new community of 14,000 residents. After all, it's not easy to fit in when you're a 30-something fresh from the asphalt jungle.
Emily Eddins spent a decade joining and quitting baby groups and volunteering at her children's schools before publishing Altitude Adjustment, which took one year to write and nine years to edit. Three of the essays have appeared elsewhere: The Louisville Review, Forge and Toad Suck Review. Emily's work also has been printed in a range of literary publications including The Willow Review, Rio Grande Review and Front Porch. She and her husband live in Northern California with their three children.