2011 was a great year for me, possibly even the best so far. It was filled with new states, new mountains, new friends, new skills, new thoughts, new kisses, new secrets, new feelings. Since it's been so long since i shared, here is what last year looked like for me.
January- Housesitting in Southern Humboldt, California. Dana and I were caretaking for friends on a Hawaii vacation. We stayed in their awesome/adorable off the grid cabin and took care of their goats, chickens, dog, cats, veggie garden, and made a lot of food and ferments.
February- The Lost Coast, Humboldt County, California. This beautiful beach was thirty minutes from us. We took many day trips out this magical beach where the ocean is powerful and constantly eroding the coastline, leaving it pretty much unable to be developed, and hence lost.
March- I went back to Three Springs Garden and Community in North Fork, California that I interned at when i first came out to California is August 2010. We got a lot of snow and the power went out for a few days. I explored the land a lot more on this visit, we had a lot of really sunny days too. I left here with a tan.
April- I start the Herb Pharm internship in Williams, Oregon. You can see the beautiful Siskiyou-Kalamath mountains still covered with snow. I met 13 awesome, amazing women and we studied Herbalism together for this 9-week internship. 4 days a week doing farm work, medicine making once a week, 3 nights a week with varying classes such as seaweed, mosses and lichens, body systems, botany and weekly nutrition classes, and plant walks every other week! It was really intense to say the least but this experience has been hugely influential !
May- Chamomile harvest! ! You can see everyones cute little faces hiding in the flowers! We picked chamomile all day for 2 or 3 days, so much fun! Beautiful weather and everyone was giddy from the flowers. If you've got Herb Pharm Chamomile tincture recently, we probably harvested it!
June- I decide to stay in Williams, Oregon after the internships ends. I admit i decide to stay for a boy. I also spend my time wildcrafting and making tinctures, cooking, babysitting, taking care of chickens, and starting a fall veggie garden. Here is me with sage i found growing wild!
July- Everything is growing! also, I get a car, we named her Bubble Pie Honey Wagon!
August- Crater Lake, Oregon. Josh and I go to incredible, magical Crater Lake! We just decide to go one morning spontaneously and we pick the best day just by chance! This kicks off my month(s) of traveling. Also in August- Eugene, the Oregon coast, Olympic Forest, Bellingham, and back to California!
September- Yellowstone Park, Wyoming! So September turns out to be pretty rough for me. By the end of the month i find myself driving to Montana, Wyoming and ultimately Colorado with some of my new west coast besties, that encourage me to get the heck out of town (and also go on Furthur tour!). I see Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah (and BUFFALO!) for the first time.
October- Southern Oregon...October is filled with a lot of new friends and keeping busy, but not very many pictures. Here is one of a dreamcatcher i made. The weather is beautiful the whole month and im getting ready to drive back east!
November- Garden of the Gods, near Colorado Springs, Colorado. I leave Oregon with new friends Seth and Jesse in early/mid november. We are rocking out and having the best time ever until my car pretty much breaks down. But, before all of our fun comes to an end we take Bubble Pie Honey Wagon on one last adventure. I gave Seth a haircut in the parking lot of this place that came out pretty bad but was really fun. Jesse stays in Colorado Springs, Seth flies to DC, and i fly back to NY. BPHW is currently in a storage unit in Boulder.
December- Italy! Florence and Tuscany! The Leaning Tower of Pisa! So I went to Italy with my Dad and Sister the first week of December. I turned 25 there. My first Europe trip and also my first family vacation with Dad in a long time. Overall, this was a great, beautiful trip. Florence was overflowing with ancient art and architecture and 10 days was not enough time to take it all in! I had the best time when we got out of Florence and went on a tour of Siena, a winery, and Pisa. By the time we got to Pisa it was getting late, so we didn't climb it, but here is what it looks like from the ground.
After Italy, I am back in NY hanging out with Dana all the time, bopping out, rescuing dogs, and watching Sex and the City on VHS. We rang in the New Year with dinner at Jacob's, looking really cute!
So that was 2011. I think 2012 is only going to be better. I'm unsure about a lot of things, and feel pretty lost, but If 2011 taught me anything, it's to enjoy everything I do, and trust the universe, that my path will reveal itself as long as I follow my heart.
Happy New Year!
photo from http://freedomthistime.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/earth-ship-bottle-wall11.jpg
