The Gilded Serpent presents...

Kayla Summers

I was born and bred in north Berkeley, during the sixties, and was influenced strongly by the nomad-ism of the hippies. I conceived, and birthed a healthy, (although I think too skinny) gorgeous daughter, who, despite many trials and tribulations, still speaks to me. I fell in love with belly dancing, learning through various teachers, the best of mine being Lynette. Over the years, she continued showing me the strength of women through dance and how to feed snakes.

A retired emergency room nurse, finalizing my career at a place euphemistically called "The Knife and Gun Club of Alameda County", which inspired a series of short stories, collectively called the "Castle On the River Styx". For years, I ran an inner city infirmary, combining limited community resources. I'm a fifth generation Californian, from a family of avid campers, and naturalists, and I have camped and hiked throughout California, Baja California, and Kauai (the Napali coast line).

I met a man who gently and patiently showed me how to travel the world on a low budget but rich in experiences and more importantly how to "do it" on my own. Over the last 10 years I have traveled. Beginning with (four months) exploring Malaysia, Indonesia, Sumatra, Java also one month in Bali, a month in Thailand, then five months in southern India, "temple touring" and snorkeling, weeks in Sri Lanka, traveling as far north, as they would allow. I spent one month at an Ashram (Siva Nanda) in Trivindurum, near Kerala ... also a few months traveling the Yucatan Peninsula, climbing the Aztec and Mayan temples, and a month in Guatemala, learning Spanish. I toured Belize, a month in Roatan, an island off Honduras, which has the second largest coral reef in the world. I took a two-year break to develop typing skills, thus opening the world of writing short stories, poems, and art using the medium of collage. Mysteriously, I wound up in Turkey, and will be staying here as permanently as I'm allowed, so that I can explore the many facets of this incredibly rich, beautiful country, and its culture.

The Gilded Serpent

• Cover Page
• Contents
• Community Kaleidoscope
• North Beach Memories
• Letters to the Editor
• Comics
• Archives
• Clubs & Calendar
• Resources

• About Us
• Submission Guidelines
• Ad Guidelines
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Contact Editor