About

I’m a reader and a writer, sharing what I love best – reading and writing.

To be honest, the writing was taking away from my precious reading time. It was a bit of deal breaker. That was, until I realized I could blog about reading. There, now life is perfect.

Thank you for stopping by!

– Jessi Waugh


You’re still here.

I remember a quiz in middle school, where we were told to read all of the instructions before beginning. Those instructions said to read every question first, then answer them afterward. Did you take that quiz?

If so, you know the last question said not to do any of the quiz. You could just lay your head on your desk and snooze while the rest of the class labored away. And that’s why you’re still reading, in hopes of a prize at the end…

About Jessi Waugh

I was born in Morehead City, moved to Atlantic Beach, moved to Emerald Isle, moved to Atlantic Beach, moved back to Morehead City, moved to Greenville, moved to Carolina Beach, moved to Oak Island, moved back to Emerald Isle, moved back to Oak Island, and finally moved to my current home, near the place I started. In the words of George Moore, “A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it.”

I worked in restaurants, gift shops, and places of ill repute, such as a handmade popsicle stand. I tended horses, ran with the wolves, and traveled in a van around the country. I roamed a lot, I read a lot.

I earned a BS in Biology at East Carolina University, with a minor in partying and shenanigans, then a MAT in Secondary Science at the University of North Carolina – Wilmington. I had my NC Teacher’s License and National Boards Certification in Secondary Science. I taught high school science for eleven years – Earth & Environmental, Biology, and Marine Science. It was…educational.

Then came the baby carriage and “staying home” with two boys born less than two years apart. Since then, I’ve gained my Yoga Teacher Certification and teach weekly. I volunteer on two boards, substitute teach, handle bookkeeping for a local business, and – surprise! – I write.

I write fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. My goal, of course, is to write a fantabulous book that everyone wants to read and allows me to keep writing as my career. That’s THE DREAM.

So, I learn all I can about writing craft and stay active in my local writers’ group, Carteret Writers (of which I am a board member). I am also am a friends of the library board member. I actively seek editorial feedback and guidance, participate in multiple critique groups, and strive to build community among writers.

My hobbies are reading, reading, reading, yoga, and exploring. I still love science, too, people, and nature.

Now, here’s your prize:

You don’t have to do anything for the next minute. Just close your eyes, notice your breath, relax the muscles of your face, and do absolutely nothing.

You’re welcome.

“The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside by a generous hand. But – and this is the point – who gets excited by a mere penny? But if you cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted in pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of [joyous] days.” ― Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek