I’m a Miss Rumphius Wannabe
Julie McGue
Author
When I was a young girl, I remember my parents loading up my siblings and me into Mom’s green station wagon—the one with a third row facing the street beyond—for a trip to the international terminal at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Our mission was to pick up my dad’s mother, Grandma Mimi (I share reminisces about her in my latest memoir Twice the Family) who was returning from a months-long trip around the world. We were giddy to see our grandmother and to hear about her adventures.
Once we arrived at the terminal, my twin sister, Jenny, and I pushed our way through the crowds waiting for their loved ones, scoring a prime spot by the glass viewing area overlooking the customs’ doors. We had decorated a large poster board with brightly colored words: Welcome Home, Mimi! We missed you!
After what seemed like hours, we spotted our five-foot-eight, large-boned grandmother emerging through the doors with a porter nearly collapsing under the weight of steamer trunks and hard-sided suitcases. Jenny exchanged a look with me that meant I wonder what surprises she has packed inside. Over the ensuing weeks, she spoiled my siblings, cousins, and me with souvenirs and trinkets, all the while revealing fascinating tales from her visits to Egypt, Israel, Portugal, China, Thailand, Greece and the United Kingdom. I still possess the elaborate doll collection and charms she gifted my sister and me.
On special occasions like Christmas and Easter, it always thrilled me to wear my silver charm bracelet bedecked with the trinkets she had selected from her travels. And at those events, I’d scoot close to Grandma Mimi, hold out a charm, and ask, “Tell me again what you loved about seeing the pyramids in Egypt?” I think, during those moments, my grandmother passed the travel bug onto me.
When I first read Barbara Cooney’s book Miss Rumphius to my own children, my thoughts, of course, went to Grandma Mimi and her travels. If you’re unfamiliar with this iconic best-selling children’s book, it’s about a librarian and single woman who travels the world, hurts her back, returns home to heal, and then determines how she can make the world a better place. (As a side note, Cooney’s book was foundational for me when I wrote and published the first book in my children’s series, Jack and Lulu Go to the Tree Farm.) As my husband and I began our own travels to some of the spots my grandmother had introduced me to, I often thought of Miss Rumphius and her mission to personally make an impact in the community where she lived.
And, just as when my grandmother traveled nearly a half-century ago, O’Hare has become my preferred airport. Like my Grandma Mimi, whenever and wherever I travel, I return with stories and souvenirs for my family, hoping that these will become prized possessions like her gifts were for me.
This past month, I took off with friends I have traveled with before to Norway, Svalbard, Ireland, and Iceland. Our group of six hailed from Michigan, Indiana, Seattle, and Greensboro, NC. We reconnected to experience expedition travel with National Geographic Lindblad, boarding a familiar ship, The Resolution, on which we had sailed in 2025 to Antarctica and Patagonia. This time, The Resolution took us to a different polar region, the Arctic, where we spotted polar bears, walruses, and sea birds. We ate lavishly, hiked on slushy polar ice fields and over rocky glacier ridges; kayaked; and rode zodiacs around small icebergs. Through it all, I often thought of my grandmother—and of Cooney’s fictional character, Miss Rumphius.
Not once during the past month of travels did I pick up my pen to write. Instead, I let myself luxuriate in the joy of witnessing nature’s wonders in the remote habitats. As a writer who loves to make meaning of lived experiences and quirky moments, I found my time away from the computer keyboard essential. Invaluable. I feel rejuvenated. As I let the memories and adventures sift and settle, I plan to share what I saw and felt with family, friends, and followers. And true to Miss Rumphius, I’m thinking about how to scatter seeds of my own—small acts or beautiful words that might make my corner of the world more meaningful.
What my grandmother began with souvenirs and stories, I continue with journeys and pages. Miss Rumphius taught me that travel is only half the story; the other half is the beauty we leave behind. Mine may look like stories told around the table, blog posts, or a child’s book passed from one eager set of hands to another. However modest the seeds, I’m a Miss Rumphius wannabe, and I’m planting my own version of beautiful for the world.
Follow Me Here
June 20, I look forward to connecting with fellow local authors at the Chicago Writer’s Association conference in downtown Chicago. This year’s event is at The Steppenwolf Theatre.
On August 15, The second book in my Let’s Go with Lulu children’s book series, DJ and Lulu Go to the Car Wash, launches! Details forthcoming. Story is based on the real-life story about adventures with my oldest grandson.
September 6-22, I will hike a section of the El Camino again with Laura Davis’ group, The Writer’s Journey. I plan to do research for a third memoir about my journey through love and loss while hiking the Camino in 2024.
October 9-11, I will attend the She Writes Press author retreat at the Westin Rancho Mirage Resort in Palm Springs, CA. Thrilled to be selected as a presenter for the panel, “Marketing for Memoirists.”
Follow Julie by visiting her website, subscribe to her bimonthly newsletters, and listen to previous podcast recordings where she discusses topics like adoption, identity, family relationships, sisterhood and belonging.
“However modest the seeds, I’m a Miss Rumphius wannabe, and I’m planting my own version of beautiful for the world.”
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