2,001 mile journey back to Texas.
19 states.
1 speeding ticket.
10 housemates.
hundreds of students.
4 months.
The thread of gratitude that has weaved itself into the tapestry of my life over the last four months has overflowed my cup. The experiences, relationships and growth that have happened are gifts that could never have been purchased. It's a gift that was slowly unwrapped through time, truth and personal patience, yet not always gracefully. The one constant, I showed up and stayed present as best as I could in each moment. Being a Texan and dealing with the freezing, cold weather was not something I yearned for or prayed to experience. It's not something that I mastered nor became exceptional at, but I did improve my winter living skills. I made it through with the help of lots of hand and toe warmers and truthfully speaking, the cold weather started to grow on me and as I drove back to Texas over this last week I started missing the white snow on the ground, the leafless trees and the need for being bundled with scarves and a hat. The lens through which I see is a choice, it's my choice. Numerous experiences could have excused blurred lenses and reactionary responses. Instead, I continued to focus my lens, to open my big, beautiful green eyes to the positive; to the opportunity for growth and to the new experience that awaited. And now I want to share it all with you!
So, here goes...
Road tripping with cousin AND friend, Shanna, from Houston to Connecticut...
I arrived at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center where I worked as an educator at a program called Teva. Teva is a program with Hazon that works to fundamentally transform Jewish education through experiential learning that fosters Jewish, ecological, and food sustainability.
My first time living in a four season place, able to watch foliage change over the course of months. I was blown away by the beauty.
NYC again... I guess that's what happens when you live less than three hours from the city
Back to Nature...
More travels away from Connecticut...
Back to the woods I go for a pleasant surprise...
Working with coworkers that become your friends, now that's something special.
Week of Thanksgiving. Gratitude all around me. Ali, my South America travel buddy and best friend of 11 years came to visit and we traveled to Burlington, VT then to Saratoga Springs, NY.
More snow at Isabella Freedman...
NYC wanted me back, so I went.
Once it started getting really cold we visited different schools and synagogues and did environmental programs for them. I went to Marblehead, MA where I taught 1st graders how to make paper and made mezuzot with the 3rd and 4th graders, all out of recycled materials. It was a huge success and so much fun to use our creativity while also using reclaimed materials.
My time on the east coast has come to an end and Texas is calling me back.
I loved Asheville, NC. It had amazing food!
You're the only Ten I See in Tennessee.
The experiences I have in life are like flames from a fire. Sometimes they are strong and overbearing, other times the light starts to fade and the question of will it keep going enter into my mind. Each flame has it's place and importance in the fire. The flame is what's visible to us but can also be felt and if listened to can sometimes be heard. The flame is like a branch on a tree. A tree is rooted in the trunk and deeper in its roots. The flames are many, which make up one fire. The flames that have ignited in my heart to work hard, to connect to Judaism and to stay present with nature have been from the fire that was lit at the end of August 2014 when I started out to the east coast. Each day, this fire has been burning different flames. Flames of love, grief, acceptance, fear, excitement open mindedness and awareness. The fire has dwindled and then reignited. It's a cycle, just like life and I am so grateful for all of the memories I have made and for being connected to nature, to Judaism and to human beings in a way that has allowed me to grow and to learn from the basis of nature.
To everyone who has been part of my journey these last four months, thank you. Thank you for supporting me, laughing with me, crying with me and living life with me.
19 states.
1 speeding ticket.
10 housemates.
hundreds of students.
4 months.
The thread of gratitude that has weaved itself into the tapestry of my life over the last four months has overflowed my cup. The experiences, relationships and growth that have happened are gifts that could never have been purchased. It's a gift that was slowly unwrapped through time, truth and personal patience, yet not always gracefully. The one constant, I showed up and stayed present as best as I could in each moment. Being a Texan and dealing with the freezing, cold weather was not something I yearned for or prayed to experience. It's not something that I mastered nor became exceptional at, but I did improve my winter living skills. I made it through with the help of lots of hand and toe warmers and truthfully speaking, the cold weather started to grow on me and as I drove back to Texas over this last week I started missing the white snow on the ground, the leafless trees and the need for being bundled with scarves and a hat. The lens through which I see is a choice, it's my choice. Numerous experiences could have excused blurred lenses and reactionary responses. Instead, I continued to focus my lens, to open my big, beautiful green eyes to the positive; to the opportunity for growth and to the new experience that awaited. And now I want to share it all with you!
So, here goes...
Road tripping with cousin AND friend, Shanna, from Houston to Connecticut...
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| New Orleans: Cafe DuMont, Rachel H., great music and Shanna found $100. |
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| Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It was closed when we got there but we still had fun. |
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| Friends with muscles! Brittany, Shanna and me |
I arrived at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center where I worked as an educator at a program called Teva. Teva is a program with Hazon that works to fundamentally transform Jewish education through experiential learning that fosters Jewish, ecological, and food sustainability.
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| Home sweet home |
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| Leaves starting to change |
NEW YORK!
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| Din with old friends from College, High School and Camp |
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| Jewish representation at the Global Climate March- NYC |
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| I got to march with one of The Bible Players! |
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| Rosh Hashanah at URI Hillel with Nat |
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| There was a fire my first night at Isabella Freedman and the girl who lived in the building that burned down decided to create an art exhibit with the theme "Home is..." Here's the poem that I wrote. |
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| Leaves fall in Fall! |
My first time living in a four season place, able to watch foliage change over the course of months. I was blown away by the beauty.
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| wild grapes |
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| "My wish for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to, your dreams stay big, your worries stay small, you never need to carry more than you can hold." -Rascal Flatts |
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| I have my grooves and dents just like this tree. And although it may not be a "typical" looking tree trunk it's intriguing and captivating. |
NYC again... I guess that's what happens when you live less than three hours from the city
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| Arizona crew! What a great afternoon at Smorgasbord in Brooklyn |
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| Junior year college roommate- Brown! It was so fun watching Arizona games together in NY. It was like we were roommates again, thanks! |
Back to Nature...
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| Those white marks on the trees, called blazes, mark the Appalachian Trail |
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| Every student received a certificate with a personalized note |
More travels away from Connecticut...
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| Family weekend at University of Rhode Island (we missed brother Dan) |
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| At the Tower House B&B in Naragansett, RI. We love this place! Beautiful gardens, attentive hospitality and it's close to the ocean. |
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| URI is not known for their football but we still had fun |
Back to the woods I go for a pleasant surprise...
 |
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| SNOW! |
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| Did you know that goats have four stomachs? |
Working with coworkers that become your friends, now that's something special.
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| Wednesday nights in Great Barrington, MA was an open mic that we occasionally attended at Gypsy Joynt. Lots of fun, music and good food. Known for their cinnamon rolls that were about 8 inches in diameter and about 3 inches tall. |
Week of Thanksgiving. Gratitude all around me. Ali, my South America travel buddy and best friend of 11 years came to visit and we traveled to Burlington, VT then to Saratoga Springs, NY.
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| Where I lived |
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| Cheesin' after some brekkie at Martin's in Great Barrington |
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| Deep connection and gratitude for visiting this important and historical site. |
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| The world's tallest filing cabinet. Burlington, VT #alwaysreachhigher |
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| The people we meet in life is of no coincidence, rather synchronicity. Ali and Jodie... two strong spirits. |
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| Turkey trot in Bethesda, MD |
More snow at Isabella Freedman...
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| Bundle up and try not to look too frozen |
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| I built that snowman all by myself. His name was Snowy. |
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| First concert at Madison Square Garden... |
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| "Shower the people you love with love, show them the way that you feel" -James Taylor |
Once it started getting really cold we visited different schools and synagogues and did environmental programs for them. I went to Marblehead, MA where I taught 1st graders how to make paper and made mezuzot with the 3rd and 4th graders, all out of recycled materials. It was a huge success and so much fun to use our creativity while also using reclaimed materials.
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| I am one part of a big whole here on earth |
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| They said we couldn't let the goats go ice skating for some reason |
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| Some fellow educators. Vibrant souls with so much fun and personality inside of each of them |
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| People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. It's not always clear which it will be, but the memories I make and the feelings I have continue to be in my heart and my spirit. |
"I woke up this morning, Texas on my mind." -Pat Green
I spent Shabbat with the Weisz's, my east coast family.
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| Just a normal purple peacock #woodlandwannabe |
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| Partayyyy in D.C |
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| View from the Blue Ridge Parkway |
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| Have fun. Be silly. Be me. |
I loved Asheville, NC. It had amazing food!
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| Big iron in Asheville, NC |
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| Green Sage Cafe- Asheville, NC. Highly recommend it! |
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| Living Seed Cafe- Asheville, NC. Delicious vegan, gf food |
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| Nashville, TN |
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| Love me some cowboys |
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| "You can't make a heart love somebody, you can lead a heart to love but you can't make it fall." -George Strait |
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| Where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. Memphis, TN |
The experiences I have in life are like flames from a fire. Sometimes they are strong and overbearing, other times the light starts to fade and the question of will it keep going enter into my mind. Each flame has it's place and importance in the fire. The flame is what's visible to us but can also be felt and if listened to can sometimes be heard. The flame is like a branch on a tree. A tree is rooted in the trunk and deeper in its roots. The flames are many, which make up one fire. The flames that have ignited in my heart to work hard, to connect to Judaism and to stay present with nature have been from the fire that was lit at the end of August 2014 when I started out to the east coast. Each day, this fire has been burning different flames. Flames of love, grief, acceptance, fear, excitement open mindedness and awareness. The fire has dwindled and then reignited. It's a cycle, just like life and I am so grateful for all of the memories I have made and for being connected to nature, to Judaism and to human beings in a way that has allowed me to grow and to learn from the basis of nature.
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| The flame burns within each of us |
Cheers to a happy, healthy and safe New Years filled with peace, love and joy.
Sarah Elizabeth
This is a beautiful heart felt writing. I am so very proud of you and your love for expression. Love you Dad.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dad! Love you too.
Delete"People come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. It's not always clear which it will be, but the memories I make and the feelings I have continue to be in my heart and my spirit. " This is so beautiful and I truly believe it too!
ReplyDeleteLove u, Lisa
Thank you Lisa. It's a saying that I really love and truly believe.
Delete