She and her family live on Lake Samish, in Bellingham, Washington, and visit France every year. Susan graduated from Reed College, in Portland, Oregon; went to UCLA for graduate school in conservation biology; and attended the University of Michigan Law School. She loves to kayak, hike, cook, host friends, read, and travel. Susan and her family sought out Canoe Island because it combines French language and culture, the stunning San Juan Islands, marine and conservation biology, and a community of likeminded yet diverse people. Susan's daughter, Gabriella is nine, and attended Canoe Island French Camp for the first time in 2012; the family's biggest challenge is persuading Gabriella to spend part of her summer at home with them, instead of moving to Canoe Island permanently.