Youth brought purpose to Gale. She was seldom seen without her nose in a book or a journal (with a cat) on her lap where she scribed everything from poetry to her inner feelings. She was destined to become a writer.
In her diaries, musings about the purpose of her life on Earth and her relationship with the divine evolved during adolescence. She was always expressing gratitude for the secure life she led and empathy for those less fortunate.
Perhaps it was frequent visits to the pristine woods on the family farm that first inspired her affinity for nature. Camping trips to wilderness areas in the western United States with an aunt and uncle honed her observational skills, and not only fostered her love for the wild outdoors, but instilled a passionate conservation ethic. Overseas trips with parents and brother opened her eyes to different landscapes and cultural diversity—unique opportunities that lit a spiritual fire. In school, teachers sensed her special talents and encouraged her to write creatively.
Excerpts from her trips best exemplify her remarkable ability to weave descriptive observations into beautiful poetic essays.