Well, it sure has been a while and truthfully I didn’t see myself using this platform much after this summer, but alas here I am in your inbox with an update.
Last spring I made the decision to graduate a year early rather than pursue a dual degree that would have kept me here for far too long. I am quite happy with that decision but with maxing out my class schedule, working on campus as a barista, teaching ski lessons through my ski club, and being the events coordinator of the club it has definitely been an intense past few months. Quite the difference in pace from my lovely little farm and cafe life on Maui. Nonetheless, it has been a great year thus far; spent with good friends, great roommates, and 40 ski days and counting.
One major aspect of this year has been working on my senior project for my major Community, Environment, and Planning. The project has taken on many forms and changed quite a bit since the fall, but it has always been greatly inspired by my mentors and my time on the farm this summer. I began to research regenerative agriculture practices like those we practiced in Maui then dove deeper into the policy, case studies, and literature on the topic. Over the past few months, the final product of my project has taken many forms, but I finally landed on creating a podcast to highlight the culture of community gardens in Seattle. Through tours and interviews of various community-powered farms, I have learned much about how a connection to food can build community. The project has greatly tied to my interest in urban planning and food systems and it has been really fun to talk with people who work and volunteer in these spaces and hear what the farms mean to those involved. I have been working on this project all year but just recently posted my first interview that showcases the Beacon Food Forest, an open harvest community-driven garden just a few miles south of downtown Seattle.
I am mainly writing this post to get the word out about my podcast because although it is super silly to listen to my voice on Spotify, I don’t just want to post the episodes to “check the box”, I would like people to listen to them! Crazy right?! So this is me, gracefully spreading the word of my amateur talk show to those who care for me enough to subscribe to this silly little newsletter <3.
In other news…
For the rest of spring, I will be working on finishing up the interview series as well as the 17 million other things my (truly) awesome major has required for us to graduate. I will also be working as a kayaking class instructor for UW students, planning some more spring parties for the ski club, backpacking in the Hoh Rainforest, biking in the Mt Baker Ski-to-Sea race, and getting ready for a lovely summer in Seattle. Tis the busiest time of the year for a student on the quarter system.
But wait there’s more!!
Although I’ll be walking and dressing in the cap and gown and all that jazz in June, I’ll still have 15 credits to go despite having all of my major requirements done. Lucky for me this gives me an amazing opportunity to go on a study abroad trip to New Zealand! I’ll be heading there at the end of September to embark on an environmental science field studies course. With a group of twenty to thirty students from all over the country, I’ll backpack around the North and South Islands studying island ecosystems. I am super excited to finally be making my way down under after a lifetime of interest in the area. That being said, I anticipate spending some time in Australia after my program. More to come on that.
So to conclude this stream of consciousness-midday-life update-blog post: Seattle rocks, my roommates are awesome, I love skiing, and consider giving my podcast a listen!
Podcast- Cultivating Conversations: Exploring the cultural context behind Seattle’s urban gardens
Peace and love,
Amy
Some fond memories from the past few:
Amy, you continue to amaze and impress me with all that you’re able to juggle and accomplish at one time. Even though you’ve only been in Seattle for three years, I feel like you’ve taken advantage of so many different opportunities. And obviously that is continuing into next year with all of your exciting plans abroad. It’s so great to see you following your passions and I can’t wait to see where else they will lead! Love you❤️