Worldwide Traveler Leaves Trail Of Kindness

When Susan Smith was a teenager, her idea of adventure was traveling from city to city as a fashion buyer. Maybe a life in New York City.

Her adventures have been far grander: posing for snapshots with Antarctic penguins, cooking for a work crew in Russia and searching out garlic in South America.

Since March, the Rathdrum woman has lived with her father, Perley Smith, on Reservoir Hill Road. She brought home a resume as international volunteer, a taste for more global travel and a good 60 rolls of film from Antarctica.

“The scenery is surrealistic,” says Susan. “Tops of icebergs rise up from waters of blue and black; beaches are volcanic sand and rock.”

Susan’s photographs, hundreds of them, reveal the Antarctic in many colors - gold, green and various hues of blue. “The Antarctic - so beautiful it brings tears to my eyes.”

Susan, 45, grew up in Rathdrum and graduated from Lakeland High School in 1968. After earning a master’s degree from the University of Idaho, she worked in several branches of the federal government.

Her decision to “see the world” occured several years ago. After traveling in Mexico, she decided, “why not do some good while going places.” Since then she learned to speak Spanish and Russian and has traveled twice to Magadan, Russia, Siberia and South America.

Susan has worked as “chief cook and keeps the water jugs filled” as she and a crew for Maranatha Volunteers International work on such varied projects as building a multi-purpose room for a Christian youth camp in Argentina, or constructing a school. No fancy hotels - it’s tent living and roughing it - but it’s worth it, Susan says.

This January she traveled with the interfaith group to Argentina, Brazil and Chile.

“The people I’ve met while traveling both to Russia and South America are very generous, friendly. In spite of language barriers, we were always able to communicate - sometimes with pantomime - or someone else would interpret,” Susan said. At times, people in far-away lands treat each other with more courtesy than do Americans at home, she said.

As a nomad cook, Susan learns a few odd things: “It’s impossible to find garlic in Argentina, but one day’s journey through the Andes Mountains into Chile - there was an abundance of the much-needed garlic cloves.”

Susan’s January jaunt did not end with her Argentine travels. Strictly for fun, she boarded the Livonia, an Estonian research vessel bound to Tierra del Fuego on the southern-most tip of South America and to Antarctica. Side expeditions for Susan and other passengers included Zodiac rubber raft trips to Whalers Cove, Deception Island and a Polish research station.

“I had a cup of hot coffee brewed with barley added - powerful stuff.”

Temperatures in January are in the 30-degree range - that’s the Antarctic summertime.

Susan’s packing priorities for the trip included clothes for both tropical and cold climates - dress as you would for winter in Rathdrum, she said. And, of course, lots of film.

Susan said she can identify most of the 17 different types of penguins that live all over the world. Four are in the Antarctic.

Where will she travel next? “I’d really like to go to Vietnam or Cuba - or maybe wherever the 13 remaining types of penguins live that I’ve yet to see.”

Prepared to patrol

Rathdrum has more than 30 applicants for its open police patrolman position. The newest patrolman will be named in June.

In other news from Rathdrum City Hall, acting Mayor Tanda Bromley and the City Council have created a citizens advisory committee. Members will gather local opinion on new industry moving into the Rathdrum area. The committee grew out of Micron’s interest in Rathdrum.

MEMO: Kay Younkin grew up in Australia and moved to North Idaho two years ago. She’s grown roots in Rathdrum and for the last 18 months has written the Kootenai Courier, a monthly covering Rathdrum and Hayden. Panhandle Pieces appears every Saturday. The column is shared among four North Idaho writers.