Updates

I've been "on island" for a week now so I suppose I should post some updates about my life here.

I got all settled in last weekend and met my new roommate and housemates. They're all really nice, down to earth people that love nature. I developed a chest cold and the paleo diet went right out the window for me as I struggled to breathe normally and had to watch everyone else in the house around me eat yummy and easy to cook favorite foods. Shame on me, I know, but I'm okay with it. I'm pretty much better health-wise at this point in case you were wondering!

My job is great. I got to play out on the grounds some this week pruning Polly's play pen, removing some Rhododendrons that had out-grown their homes, and stripping bark off of Locust posts to be used as a new fence. I also got to do some work in BGBase (A plant database). In all my time at the SCBG I knew that I enjoyed my days working through the plant sale database but I never thought it was a general love for record keeping. I was really enjoying working through the intricacies of this program and using Excel for something useful. Everyone at the arboretum has been incredibly welcoming and supportive throughout my first week. They held a wonderful lunch on Thursday for myself and the new horticulturist, Ian.

Speaking of... Ian and his girlfriend invited me to their apartment last night for dinner. It was really nice to hang out with them outside of work and get a chance to know each other a little bit more. We all went on a winter walk held by the arborist at Polly Hill on Saturday and went on a Conservation Society winter walk through some private land today. There are so many ecologically centered efforts going on in Martha's Vineyard. I think I'm really going to enjoy my time here.

I also visited a yoga studio and am thinking about starting classes in the coming weeks. In true Jaime fashion I am filling up my schedule quickly and struggling to remind myself to slow down. Apparently no matter where I go or what I am doing I will always be running from place to place trying to do everything.

Chaos

I'm in the process of packing to move to the vineyard and I feel like I'm over-packing and under-packing all at the same time. I know that there aren't closets. I know that there is limited space for personal belongings. Other than that I'm pretty clueless.

I narrowed down my t-shirt collection to 15. That doesn't include nasty work t-shirts, but still if you know me only 15 t-shirts is quite a feat!

I'm excited and I'm nervous. It will be nice to get in and settled. I'm going to try to go paleo when I get down there and really watch what I eat. I'm hoping it won't be such a bad transition. I can limit what I buy from the beginning without having to throw things out so it's now or never!

I'll be sure to upload another post once I'm all unpacked and learning more about the island!

A Good Reminder

I stumbled upon this today and thought that it was a wonderful reminder. Life can suck but it always goes on! Why be miserable when you can choose to be happy?

New Job, New Life

I have 10 days left before I move to Martha's Vineyard!

I am insanely excited. I can't wait to launch into a new job. I love the small work environment that Polly Hill promises to provide. I tend to learn and thrive better when I feel like I "fit."

I am also looking forward to life in a new place. It's always scary and thrilling to move somewhere where you don't know anyone and start your life over. I've enjoyed every experience that I've had with this including both my move to Clemson in 2007 and my adventures in upstate NY during the summer of 2010. These changes shifted my entire life. Who knows what will happen over the next nine months.

As if that wasn't enough change, I just applied to a sustainable living immersion program in India that runs the month of January next year. I'm hoping that I will be admitted and will get to embark on an international journey to learn principles of reforestation and post-petrol society.

Though we all know that I'm afraid of change, looking back on it these grand adventures have made me grow as an individual and really learn more about how to make my life whole. The most important people I have in my life have supported me through all of my crazy new adventures. I have since realized that I don't need the few who chose not to support me. Life is full of twists and turns and I know that those who clung on for the ride are my truest companions. These are the kind of people that I need to continue to love and cherish. It makes me feel so fortunate that I have so many of them in my life!

Anywho, that's just a quick catchup for now. I'm sure I'll have much more to say in a couple of weeks!

The South of the North

I'm sitting in Josh's apartment in Indiana now. My only adventure thus far today was the little Starbucks a block or two away. It's nothing earth shattering. It's just a normal, busy, Starbucks. What blew my mind, was how obnoxiously friendly the people were there. I guess I have re-acclimated myself to Boston again to the point that I no longer know how to make polite conversation with complete strangers unless it is farmers market related. (And that's because it's my JOB to be friendly and extroverted)

An older gentleman enjoying his breakfast at a table tried to have a friendly conversation with me and I stared at him completely dumbfounded. What has happened to me? Have the charms of the South worn off so completely in the few months that I have been gone that it's startling again to have people I don't know try to interact with me?!

That makes me a little sad about living in New England. Obviously they are very different cultures and cannot accurately be compared, but after 4.5 years I had finally grown accustomed to people holding doors, greeting me, and even striking up random conversation. It only took me 3 months without this constant social stimulus to become a calloused, slightly hermitesque, brash yankee again. I obviously need a change of scenery...

Goat Cheese

I have this new obsession with goat cheese. I'm not sure where it came from. In fact it's almost surprising.

When I was younger my parents raised me to try anything and everything. As far as foods they forced me to eat as a child I'm a trooper. I may not like pork-chops but dammit if I am a guest and someone serves them to me I can eat them like a champ. However, as I got older I grew out of that wonderful ability. My eating habits became more particular and defined just as I was becoming my own person. I began turning my nose up at things that I had never tried.

In high school during a family trip to Hawaii my dad asked me if I wanted to try sushi. Of course not! That's raw fish! I rejected ham. Who rejects ANY pork product? Apparently this girl. When my mom began making a strawberry and goat cheese salad I proclaimed, "Yuck! GOAT cheese?!" and never wanted anything to do with it.

Fast forward to Christmas eve 2011. I had just graduated from college and my parents brought a case of champaign to the family party. After a couple of glasses of the wonderful, bubbly, gold stuff mixed with some yummy sangria the appetizers were passed around. I stuffed a little caramelized onion tart in my mouth and through hazy thoughts and a warmed esophagus had the epiphany that this was hands down the best thing I had ever eaten in my life. I would never again eat something so delectable. I hunted my cousin down to find out what on earth she put in these crack filled pastry shells. Turns out it was goat cheese. Mind... Blown...

Shortly after I was served a salad with goat cheese on it for dinner one night at home. Instead of turning up my nose and picking the little crumbles off I tried one. I popped just the little tiny bit of cheese with nothing else on or touching it (that is the way I prefer my food, after all) into my skeptical mouth. It was tangy, refreshing, creamy, and everything I love about my two favorite foods: Sour cream and cream cheese. It had this wonderful bite and melt in your mouth texture that I had never experienced before.

Mother knows best I guess. So there I had it. I now have a new favorite food. I've always had big dreams about moving to a farm where I can have horses, cows, chickens and dogs. However, now I really want one of those animals in my life. I would love to have a goat so I can make this incredible concoction from scratch!

http://www.theage.com.au/news/pets/seattle-to-allow-pygmy-goats-as-pets/2007/09/26/1190486386781.html

Badger Badger Badger Badger...

I promise to add a post with photos soon. I've been too busy to take any decent pictures at my new job, but I'm really enjoying it!

For those of you who don't know I now volunteer/intern with Shady Oaks Organics in MA growing organic oyster and shiitake mushrooms. They're grown in a greenhouse that's in a warehouse in the industrial park and are out of this world. The whole process has a lot of intricacies that I am slowly beginning to learn but I definitely know the basics now. All of our mushrooms are grown on pasteurized straw in big plastic bags. We add some spawn that comes bagged in organic rye berries and 3 weeks later there are mushrooms!

I helped out with my first farmer's market last weekend and am participating in 2 this weekend. It's great to see people's reaction to these unique and yummy mushrooms. I took my first batch home recently and made a yummy vegetable soup as well as added them to some Philly cheesesteaks.

Everyone is really nice and I love the opportunity to learn something new while I'm waiting to move to Martha's Vineyard. In a couple of weeks I'll be headed to Indianapolis for a 5 day stay involving anniversary and valentines day celebrations. I can't believe how fast the past year has flown by!