Help! I'm Lost in Nature!

Happy New Year Everyone! 2017 was a wild ride for me. I started off the year nursing my ankle and just starting to be able to walk normally. I still remember going to the Nautical Museum in Norfolk and being proud that I could stand up for 3 hours. The first week of 2017 I quit my job at PIRG. I started job searching like a crazy person and fell in love with the idea of going to AMI. I started this blog. I also started all my odd jobs, learning the variety of different options out there for someone who does not quite what I want to do. All the while I am making it work with Joshua who is Virginia bound and wants me to succeed, be happy, and be close by. And through that I came to know Virginia very well. From the Western Alleghenies to central Appomattox, I fell in love with this state too, and all the possibilities in environmental activism and community building in Virginia. AMI focused these ideas on agriculture and healthy living. After AMI, I got to end my year with two mo

So finally, I've finished with the regimented schedule of birthright and I am free for 5 days of exploring whatever I want in Israel...sort of. The most amazing Jerusalem market. Almost made me want to move there. My dad met me at the hotel after the last night of Birthright. Naturally, I got only 3 hours of sleep because I had to maximize my time with these amazing birthright people in case I never see them again. My dad and I head to the Jerusalem market. There are so many fruits, vegetables, spices, dry beans, nuts...pretty much everything I could ever want. Honestly, if they had a market like that in America I would never go to a grocery store again. So little waste and processing. However, we were only there briefly because we had tickets to see the Western Wall tunnels in an hour. After rushing to the tunnels, we were amazed at the history underneath this 2000 year old structure. In fact, some of these areas are so religiously significant and old, that no excavation

It's funny--I thought with all the time over break I'd be filled with writings and musings, but I didn't really get inspired until I went to Israel. Cooking and concocting lotions is very fun, but I wasn't really learning about me. On the contrary, after 15 days in Israel I feel quite self-reflective. Feeling self-reflective atop of Masada in the Negev Desert I had mixed feelings as I was driving to the airport for my Birthright experience. Birthright, is a fully-funded program for Jews from around the world to spend 10 days in Israel with ~35 Americans and ~8 Israelis to reconnect with their Jewish heritage in Israel. Many of my cousins have gone and had mixed feelings. Some experienced extreme pro-Israel propaganda, while others felt too trapped to the rigid schedule and agenda of the program to fully enjoy it. And at first, I definitely felt that rigidity stifling my Israeli experience. Right off the plane, we ventured to Caesarea where we were in a ~2,

It's been almost two weeks since I finished the first phase at Allegheny Mountain Institute. If you have been reading my blog and think AMI is a good fit for you, please apply for next year's cohort or tell people about it . It definitely changed my life for the better.  Our excitement that we are finished with Phase I (actually most of us were pretty sad to leave... So what am I doing with my 60 days of freedom? Feeling very privileged, spending time with the people I love, and exploring some of the things I've learned at AMI. ***Warning: This blog is a rant about AMI inspired activities I am doing. If you do not care about composting, healthy sodas, or the weirdness of grocery shopping, wait until next's week's blog which will be more about my feelings.*** My vacation started off with Joshua and his family. We explored Natural Bridge again with his mom, nephews and brother on a beautiful fall day. Then, we planted 40 cloves of garlic and pi

Here are a few life updates. 1. I have had some amazing visits at the farm at AMI. For my birthday weekend, Meera, Kennedy, and Josh helped me celebrate by prancing around the mountain with me. Then this past weekend my parents and Josh came up to celebrate fall with me. We had so many adventures from climbing Seneca Rocks to jamming out at the Purple Fiddle in Thomas. It was amazing to be able to share my love for this place and its food with my family.       2. In two weeks I will be leaving the most magical mountain I have ever had the privilege to get to know. On October 31, I pack my bags, and leave the first Phase of Allegheny Mountain Institute. 3. Once I leave AMI, I have two months of complete freedom before I start my second phase of the fellowship. I'm going to start that off with my amazing boyfriend and his family at his cabin. I am so looking forward to having nothing I have to do but be in love, make some lotions, and try and get as many people to vote as

Tomorrow is the day we've all been waiting for here at AMI. Capstone projects are due and we all are figuring out where we are going to be next year. Climbing apple trees with friends is also fun hobby Let me back up. So, basically, I'm in a fellowship where I live on a mountain and garden, cook, and enjoy nature pretty much 24/7. However, we also have the opportunity to do many projects including a Capstone, where we use what we are learning here to help the community. Capstone projects here are just a little different than they were back in college. Some people are fermenting herbal beers, one is mapping out hiking trails for future fellows, and another is creating a business plan for a Farm-To-Food Truck. I have loved being a part of such creative and innovative brainstorming here, both with the Capstone projects and in general. Here are some of the projects I have been a part of: 1) Preservation: During the work day, we have to preserve a lot of what we grow so