5 Things You Might Not Know About Me
I learned American Sign Language (ASL) when I was a child. I had a schoolmate who was Deaf and her interpreter offered sign classes. Throughout my life it has come into play—in middle school, I was in a group that performed sign language songs. My friends and I used it to communicate in places where audible voices aren’t so appropriate (classtime, at concerts, etc.). Even more important, in my professional life, I worked with people who were non-verbal and/or Deaf. I’m teaching S to sign (We don’t use baby sign because this infantilizes people who use sign language as their primary language. Additionally, teaching ASL enables S to learn a real skill.)
My first plane trip was when I was about to turn 18 years old. I actually celebrated my birthday on the trip! I flew from Bangor, Maine to Charlotte, North Carolina for a church youth group conference. (Because airlines are weird, they determined that the easiest way to get from Maine to Charlotte was via Detroit, Michigan.) Anyway, once I started flying, I hardly stopped! I’ve since flown to five countries and seven U.S. states.
I’ve traveled to Jamaica but did not go to the beach. Instead, we spent two days outside of Montego Beach in a sketchy little village called Eden, sleeping in a hut with limited electricity and beneath a mosquito net that didn’t quite work). We did have Christmas Eve dinner overlooking the water, so there was that. Our next stop made up for it, however! We spent the next two days at a coffee farm in the Blue Mountains! Serene, panoramic mountain views (oh…the sunrise!), with just a few cabin-rooms and a central dining area. My husband and I ate meals with the only other guest and were often joined by the owner for after-dinner conversation. Everything was farm-to-table and cooked fresh. Our last night was spent at a hotel in Kingston.
I became a vegetarian in 2010 after reading Eating Animals by Johnathan Safran Foer. I first gave up meat for Lent that year and then continued the habit. I was also living at a Camphill Community for children in Pennsylvania. Camphill is very concerned with the environment, and while it is not specifically vegetarian, many people are. Many Camphills are on farms and treat any livestock they have well. Since then, I’ve occasionally eaten meat (and I eat seafood) but am conscious of where the meat comes from. I also am raising S this way. If she has meat, it comes from local farmers who care for their animals and aren’t adding hormones.
One of the best jobs I’ve had was in college. I coordinated an academic and arts summer camp for children. I ended up liking the office atmosphere so much I stayed on after the summer was over! The office which put on the camp set up weddings and conferences at the college. I spent the following summer, the summer after graduation, coordinating the camp as well.
The Blue Mountains of Jamaica
