A flower for you my dear

Hiking the PCT

Dear PCT,
We are not that experienced, we are young, out of shape and tired. We want to have a safe, fun and beautiful trip for the next 120 miles. We would like to have a clear and well marked trail on (preferably) snow-less ground. We would like to get along and have a friendly time with animals as well as people. We would like to stay away from all bears and rain. We would like to feel healthy everyday, and leave this trip with new muscles and a new sense of love for the outdoors. We are so excited to begin this journey and we can not WAIT to begin hiking your trail tomorrow. Hopefully all of those requests are do-able, if not... please, above all else, keep us safe.

With much love and dedication,
The snails, Hannah, Cassidy and Christiana. 

Dear tomorrow,
Please, Please, Please be as wonderful as today. Let us walk, talk and laugh as hard as we did today. Let us feel confident as we walk down the ever-changing and ever-wonderful trail of the PCT.
Thank you for a fantastic day filled with beautiful wildflowers, smiles, lakes and sweaty boobs. It was a great day. Let's do it again tomorrow.

With love and greasy hair...
The Snails, Hannah, Cassidy and Christiana.




More pictures and writing soon!

Not all who wander are lost.

120 miles.
Finished.
I am dark.
My legs permanently look "swoll"
My hair is two shades lighter.
My stomach two sizes smaller.
I can run without stopping.
I can hang my food in trees.
I can walk 14 miles in a day with a 55 pound pack on my back.

I wrote less in my journal than I had planned.
I didn't think much about my life goals much.
I thought about grilled cheese sandwiches and hot showers.
I didn't fight with my friends.
We snuggled each night, thankful for surviving another day on wild trail and slapped bugs off each other.
We laughed when things weren't funny because we liked the way the sound cut through the silence of the woods. We ate dehydrated food and dreamed of greasy fries and fresh veggies.
We were the youngest girls on the trail, doing the hardest section of the p.c.t (Pacific crest trail) in washington.
We finished 120 miles in 10 days.
We did it.
And I am the happiest and proudest I have ever been of myself and my body.
I am sure I will write more later, but as of now... A few pictures to keep you guessing.
Xoxo

Bad roommate.

I've never had a bad roommate. My last two were pretty superb and even on this trip I have been blessed with friendly travelers and hunky Germans. So, last night was a new one for me. It was horrible. It brought back memories of living in the same room as my sister. But worst. It was a horrible, no-good, very bad roommate experience. Last night I was feeling very run down and crappy. I decided to call it a night at 7 and turn in with my oranges, tim tams and the hobbit. Well, about 10:00 my roommate... Let's call him Jo, came in and started to tell me all about his next adventure, which included traveling around the south island with his "Internet girlfriend" not making this shit up. It wouldn't have been a problem but then he tried to convince me to go with them to save money. After I politely declined, he started to watch shows on his lap top. Without ear phones. Then he left. And right as I was dozing off to sleep, he came back into the room with a steaming plate of food. The smell of which began to upset my already queasy stomach. Then the chewing began. No lie, he made his way through TWO ears of corn. The sound of munching could be heard through my I-pod. He finally got into bed. (oh, did I mention he took the top bunk above me... Even though there were two empty beds on the other side of the room. ) then around 1:00 I woke up from a restless half awake half asleep state to hear him climbing down the bunk, opening the window and a bunch of really heavy breathing. Well, at first I was just curious why he was standing behind the curtains with his head out the 6th story of a building. Then, our room began to smell like smoke. My roommate Jo was hanging out of our room, at 1 in the morning, smoking a cigarette, hiding behind the curtains. If that wasn't enough, his alarm went off at 5:30 and he began an hour long, LOUD process of packing up all of his gear. My dear roommate Jo is gone now. But I have a feeling that I will remember that little turd for a while.
Ahhhh hostels and the journey bring.
Anyway. Pictures. Here are some more updates. Xxoo

Things I'm Going to Miss.

Let me say first and foremost that I am DAMN excited to adventure into the land of the unknown in less than 48 hours. 

Damn excited, I say.

Now that I got that out in the open, comes the REAL reason that I wrote this blog post:

My sister asked me the other day (after I had been home for a whopping six hours) if I had to choose between leaving the Capay Valley forever or having to stay in the Capay Valley forever, what I would pick.

 If you had asked me two years ago I would answered honestly in a heart beat, 

'get me as far away from this place as possible. I don't want to ever come back.' 

Harsh. Yes. I know. 

But when you live close to something for so long you start to despise everything about it. 

Especially when that place has annoying siblings, high school memories and chickens. 

Yet, the other day when my sister asked me that question I actually said that I would stay. 

STAY, I SAY!! 

Crazy. I know. 

But the truth is,

I love the people here.

 I love the community and the way that everyone knows everyone. 

I love that we all share a connection and passion for food and learning. 

And yes, I understand that staying here forever would mean missing out on a lot of adventures, but if I can't be surrounded by the people that I love I don't want to experience any of it. 

I love sharing my life with the folk of Full Belly Farm and the Capay Valley... and even Eugene Oregon.

 I can't picture my life with out those people and as I travel to distant places and experience new things that becomes much more clear. 

So, in memory of those times, friends and family members that I am going to miss a whole heck'of'a'lot when I am away I give you this:

 A list (in no particular order) of some fun times that I am going to cherish no matter when in the world I am.

The Roommate. Pretzel Price.

I hate to say this, but I actually think I will miss studying for classes. Yeah. Wow.

Good friends and great study parties.

Sunshine in Eugene.

Well, the Urban Farm o'course.

Walking to classes.

The kind of beautiful place I call home.

These folks. They're pretty swell.

Best friends.

Drinking wine with the family. (Ignore the wine teeth.)

Sunshine with the siblings in Lake Tahoe.

My sister....

The sillyness and giggles.

The romance.

Do you think that they have Frozen Yogurt in New Zealand?

Half-drunk and fully silly photo sessions with the Roommate.

Well, it's been fun ya'll and I know I'll be back soon... maybe then I actually WILL stay in one place forever. 

As of now... Ta'ta and see you on the other side.

xoxox

Farmer Girl.

Meet the Roommate.

Alright, I have put it off long enough. 

It's about time that I tell you about my roommate. 

Because my roommate is awesome. 

Simply put. 

But, to the ordinary eye, her awesomeness might somehow get overlooked at first.

Horrible, but true.

So to help you all understand her greatness and for the sake of entertainment...

I have constructed a Roommate time-line. 

And a few pictures to liven it up...

I was just going to use horrible pictures of the two of us, because I have enough to blackmail her for a life time...

But in the sake of being kind, and the fact that I don't ever want her future employer to know I have some pictures of her doing questionable things... I will save us both and keep them off the interweb. 

So, let the story begin!

It all started two years ago. 

September 20th... I think. When I had my first thought. 

^

^

Damn, this girl is tall. 

^

Damn, this girl is going to be living with me for a whole year.

^

^

Damn, this girl is freaking sarcastic. 

^

^

Damn, this girl can DRINK!

^

^

Damn, this girl is brilliant. 

^

^

Damn, this girl likes Justin Beiber just as much as I do.

^

^

Damn, this girl is awesome. 

^

Damn, this girl could possibly be my best friend. 

^

^

Damn, this girl is competitive. 

^

Damn, this girl is going to be in my wedding.
^

^

Damn, this girl is good at beer pong.

^

Damn, I am really going to miss this girl when I'm gone.

^

^

No, but in all honesty, Ellen, my roommate has been there for me through one of the most awkward transitions of my life. She has seen me go from a girl fresh out of high school... who made stupid mistakes and couldn't keep up with the roommates wit, to a slightly more focused, a lot more witty and prettier, sophomore.
She calls me out on my shit. She lets me know when I make stupid decisions and look silly in an outfit. She cooks me dinner and snuggles with me when I am a bit intoxicated. 

I know she will always have my back, because we lived too close to each other for a year, that NOT having her back would be impossible...

She knows that I will always have HER back, whether it's finding her perfect man, or punching someone in the face when they call her a tall bastard. (true story) I am already planning her wedding and planning how she is going to fit into the rest of my life. 

 I am so glad I got randomly selected to room with the tall, ginger-by-choice, sarcastic, brilliant and goofy girl that continues to be one of my greatest friends. 

I am going to miss her like crazy come spring time!  
( I know full well that she is cringing at the amount of sap that is in this post)
It is true. Our whole relationship is built on the fact that we can yell, kick and ditch the other, so me being this sweet and caring is really something new.
But, it had to be done eventually.
Sorry.