Sandra CH Smith

Adventuring is in her DNA, says Smith. She shares in her latest book, Out of the Fog! A Story of Survival, Faith and Courage, her almost deadly journey from alcoholism to sobriety. She seemed to have it all -- a long-term marriage, two young children, an elegant home in the Philly suburbs, a summer cottage on the beach, and a successful journalism career. And yet, it was aged brandy and French wine that sustained her. To escape her husband's manipulative control and alcohol's powerful grasp, Smith took the 12-Step path to sobriety and walked away from everything with just $600 in her pocket. Re-building her life, she purchased a 35-foot sailboat, taught herself to sail without electronics or radar, and spent seven years with just a compass and using dead-reckoning, navigating the Pacific, mostly alone, sometimes with her rebellious teenaged daughter. The odyssey rooted in her a fearlessness she has carried throughout her life. She now lives in Arizona's High Sonoran Desert and spends free time creating exotic recipes while drinking sustainably-grown dark rich coffee, and travelling to far off places.