About

Hello! My name is Kelly Kandra Hughes. I am a writer, professor, animal lover, and nature enthusiast. Some of my role models are Jane Goodall (for conservation and living your passion), Maureen Fergus (for how to tell a hilarious dog story), and Tina Fey (for sheer brilliance in comedy).

I prefer a minimalist lifestyle, and I credit minimalism with giving me the courage to quit my tenured position as an associate professor of psychology at a suburban Chicago university and to marry the love of my life despite only knowing him for three weeks (don’t worry – we ran background checks and credit reports). My husband and I spent the first 8.5 years of our marriage traveling North America as professional pet and housesitters.

Our longest housesit was for 6.5 years in Norfolk, CT. During part of that time, I spent three happy years working at the Norfolk Library as their Community Engagement and Online Programs Coordinator. That housesit wrapped up in May 2023 and with it our Norfolk life (bye, Library! I miss you already.).

Heath and I traveled the United States from 2023 to 2024 in hopes of finding a place to live. I’m delighted to report we are now settled in Lafayette, CO. In August 2024, I started a full-time teaching position in the psychology and neuroscience department at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

When I’m not playing with animals or spending time outside, there’s a good chance I’m writing.

My PhD is in psychology from the University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill (GO TAR HEELS!). Sometimes I think it’s a miracle I earned a doctoral degree while having undiagnosed narcolepsy. I would give almost anything for a good night’s life sleep. If I had a life motto it would be:

How we spend our days is how we spend our lives. Annie Dillard

Feel free to follow me on this blog. I usually post every two weeks on Sunday nights.