Real stories. Real impact.
Author, travel writer and the voice behind Kiwetin. I share stories of travel, food, culture, and what it looks like to begin again.
Kiwetin, from the Woodland Cree kiiweétin, means the North Wind. It clears the air, changes the weather, and helps travellers find their way home.
In 2019, I packed two suitcases and a carry-on and moved to Beijing. Massive, radical change has a way of stripping everything back to what's true. Mine showed me how to choose myself.
You don't need your world to turn upside down to do the same. Choosing yourself starts with paying attention to the voice you stopped trusting, to what lights you up, and to what no longer fits. Sometimes it leads to a one-way ticket.
In choosing myself, I learned how to love myself, and how to love others more fully. I want you to peel back the roles, the expectations and everyone else's noise, and meet who you truly are. You do not have to have it all figured out. I didn't.
If you're wondering whether it's too late to begin again, it isn't.
Immersive travel moments for anyone ready to begin again. Everything is a moment in time, and these are some of mine. On Medium, my stories unfold in three acts called the leaving, the becoming and the shining.
Read all my stories on Kiwetin Travel
If these stories speak to you, my books go deeper.
See my booksUnedited, unfiltered footage of food, markets and everyday life in Asia. I'm currently exploring China and Thailand.
My books, including the Where Peace Begins series on boundaries, conflict resolution and inner child healing, grew out of this journey. So did the children's books. So did all of it. Published under my imprint, Kiwetin Press, and available in paperback and ebook from Amazon, Chapters Indigo, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books and bookstores worldwide.
Ada's story is about finding courage in the small moments. A coming-of-age tale told through the eyes of a 3rd grader learning how to speak up, set boundaries and trust herself, with the quiet strength of her grandmother and a mysterious Magic Feather beside her.
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A picture book about big feelings, family, gratitude and trusting your own perspective. While fishing on a quiet lake, Ada finds patience and space to slow down. For ages 4 to 8, it celebrates Métis family life, time on the land and growing self-confidence.
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How do you protect your heart when words are sharp? After a hard day on the school bus, Kokum puts out warm bannock and bright beads and asks Ada to help finish a moccasin. A heartwarming story for ages 4 to 8 about teasing, resilience, Métis beading traditions and the quiet confidence that grows at a grandmother's kitchen table.
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Gunther the goat lives on a sunny ranch with his best friend, Pepper the dog, and Molly, the girl who loves them both. Together they splash in puddles, chase gophers and share a full day of play and farm chores. A joyful story about friendship and farm life, perfect for bedtime snuggles. Book one in the Gunther the Goat and Friends series.
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A guide for facilitators. Teaching teens to “play nice” falls short of preparing them for real-world conflict. This practical guide treats conflict management as a learned skill, like solving a math problem, and gives educators the tools to teach it.
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Practical strategies, lesson materials and tips for real-world classrooms, drawn from years of teaching English to adults in Canada and China.
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Twelve weeks to cultivate self-trust, practice mindfulness and foster healing, without adding stress or pressure. Five to fifteen minutes a day can make a meaningful difference.
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Built on one uplifting idea. Conflict is normal, and peace is something you cultivate through deliberate, compassionate engagement with life's challenges.
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For anyone who's ever felt stretched too thin. Sixty clear, daily reminders about your time, your energy and your right to say no without guilt.
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A quiet return to the part of you that still believes. Sixty simple reminders to reconnect with your sense of wonder, the part that's curious, creative and still wants to be seen, heard and loved.
Get your copyFind my books on Amazon, at Chapters Indigo, Barnes & Noble, Walmart and Apple Books, and through your local library. Bookstores, libraries and schools can order through Kiwetin Press, or see every title on my Amazon author page.
Lesson kits for adult and professional learners. CEFR-aligned, no prep required, and built by a Canadian ESL educator with real classroom experience in Canada and China.
Instant digital download, so you have everything you need to teach right at your fingertips.
Hi, I'm Suzanne.
I was raised in the boreal forest of Northern Saskatchewan, where the seasons set the pace. Out there, you learn early to pay attention to the weather, the water, the land and the people around you.
That habit of paying attention has shaped more than 25 years of work in Canada and now China. I've taught at universities and colleges, written curriculum, and worked as a chartered mediator helping people move through conflict. I hold an MA in Conflict Analysis and Management and an M.Ed. Today, I lead English curriculum as the system coordinator for an international school network, with campuses across China, from Hainan to Inner Mongolia, and in Turkey.
Paying attention carried me from the boreal forest to the Prairies, then to Beijing, and now to Hainan, where I live with my life partner, Murphy, and our fur babies. Every place along the way has given me moments in time I still carry.
I've written nine books, from the Where Peace Begins series to the Ada and Her Magic Feather picture books and resources for educators. Every one of them grew from a moment worth paying attention to.
My collection of moments in time shapes how I write, how I teach, and how I learned to choose myself.
My go-to recipes, simple to prepare with familiar ingredients. Happy cooking and enjoy.
These are my go-to recipes. I taught my daughters these dishes when they were young. Later, I taught them to high school students and, more than once, to new friends finding their feet in the kitchen.
The steps are forgiving, the dishes freeze well, and I often have a few on hand to grab on busy days. Return to these often and share them with others.
Love & Light, Suzanne Marie
I'd love to hear from you. Questions, collaborations, interviews, or just want to say hello? Reach out anytime.
Every week I share a postcard from the road and from life in China, little moments in time from wherever I am. Sign up on Medium and they land in your inbox.
Sign up for postcardsTravel stories, culture, street food and everyday life from Hainan, China and across Asia. Honest storytelling, beyond the highlight reels.
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