Ohhhhh, Caaaanadaaaaa!!!!

There have been six words I've been singing all day.  The first two are "Ohhhh, Canadaaaa!" and the last four are "Don't go chasing waterfalls..."  It's been a very waterfall-y couple of days.  Rachel and I went to the Watkins Glen State Park gorge (where you can walk behind a waterfall!) on Saturday evening, and the Robert H. Treman State Park (home of Lucifer Falls, which is giant and scary and amazing and proposal-y) near Ithaca on Sunday.  Today, my sister, her husband, and I stopped by the Watkins Glen park again and walked behind a waterfall, and then we went to the mother of all waterfalls: Niagara Falls!  Niagara Falls is so gigantic, it's almost looks fake.  It's so scary!!!  But really amazing.  We took the "Maid of the Mist" boat and got totally wet, but they give you these ponchos made of blue plastic bags that do a really good job of making you really hot and dry.

Then, we drove to Toronto, which is where I am now!  Hello, Joni Mitchell and Michael Cera!  It's a very big, hopping, artsy, poshy city, it appears.  We're in a fancy hotel, which is weird.  I ate mediocre "Asian Fusion" Pad Thai just now.  More Toronto tomorrow, then we're staying in Sarnia (aka Narnia), Ontario, and then going to Chicago on Thursday, stopping in Ann Arbor (Good Day, Tally Hall!), and passing through Detriot (goodbye, cruel world).

My brother-in-law, Adam, has inspired me to not date.  At all.  And just not even think about it.  Which sounds really relaxing and new.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, hell has frozen over.

Some things are too sad to stop thinking about...

While Rachel and I were driving from D.C. to the farm, we were driving in Pennsylvania.  I saw a little animal about to cross the highway up ahead and alerted Rachel.  We slowed down, as did the car in the lane next to us, and all the cars behind us (obviously).  It was a really little fawn, freaked out, who crossed the road.  There was a wall between the Northbound and Southbound side of the highway, and the fawn really wanted to get over it.  It even just rammed itself into the divider-wall thing in desperation.  We got to a bridge, hoping the fawn would just keep moving forward until we were not over water.  The little deer then jumped over the wall and into the small crevice between each side of the freeway, disappearing.  Baby Deer dropped into the water, far below.  It was horrifying.

I can't stop thinking about it.

The Farm!!!

(Written Yesterday, but no internet!!!)

Today was the first and main day of the Farm Sanctuary Former Intern Retreat.  Apparently, they have one of these every five years, so now I have something to look forward to in five years!  I forgot how incredibly beautiful it is up here.  It’s a really unique landscape--low mountains COVERED in trees.  Looks like broccoli.  Random lakes and rivers.  And the most amazing gorge in the history of gorges.  You could even say it’s GORGE-ous.  And I have.  Often.

The retreat was great for a lot of reasons.  I really wish some of my fellow July 2009 interns could have made it.  It was really nice to see people reuniting, and I would have loved to reunite with some people!  I’m really glad Rachel was able to come to the farm with me because so far, I haven’t gotten to share the farm with anyone I know, outside of the farm.  

Here are some things:

1. The animals are still amazing.  Goats and sheep are still incredibly sweet and affectionate.  There are baby goats who act just like puppies.  
2. Being at the farm felt like being home.  If home was a place where there were about fifty people who were very strange and socially awkward.
3. I feel empowered to make a change for farm animals.  Not that I didn’t before, but sometimes you get caught up in your own life and forget that it’s not all that hard to put in some time and effort for animal rights!  I think I should leaflet.  
4. I went to the gorge, as I previously mentioned, and I couldn’t stop thinking about Dylan, who passed away last year.  I remember standing behind that waterfall with Dylan.  Dylan, who was a magnet, whether he wanted to be or not.  Dylan, who was mysterious, but still made you feel like he really “got” you.  Dylan, who, between intense, enigmatic, profound words and thoughts could be immensely silly and fun and carefree.  Dylan’s dance moves.  Dylan’s smoothies.  Dylan’s stream of consciousness surrealist games’ poetry.  Dylan’s warmth and lack of judgment.  We all loved him and were confused by him and wanted his friendship and feared his depth.  Dylan, who I miss.
5. To Lauren and Jackie and LeoLin and Dawn: I miss you!  Being on the farm has brought back so many wonderful memories of friendship and sadness and growth and fun.  I wish you could have been here.
6. Everything is put into perspective.  Being away from SLO for awhile has helped me to let go of some unwanted...stuff.  I feel a lot of things, but primarily, I feel free.  I feel stronger.  I feel good.  I remember who I am and what I am and what I believe and what I want and mostly, that I am a person who has some sort of value and identity and lust for life.

Today (as in right now, as in when I actually do have internet):

I got to spend some more time on the farm this afternoon, getting all licked and exfoliated by a calf tongue.  One that is attached to a calf.  Cause I realize that sounds like gross meat or something.

Here are some things:

1. Some vegan activists really know how to be weird and turn off the non-vegans (and vegans)...what a shame for the movement.

2. There is a really gigantic and beautiful waterfall/gorge near Ithaca at Robert H. Treman State Park.  I think waterfalls and gorges might be my favorite very pretty thing in nature.

3. I wrote a memory page in the Intern Memory book for Dylan today.

4. Sesame Nuggets.

5. No internet SUCKS.  I'm sitting in a Dunkin' Donuts parking lot receiving WiFi right now.

Later, D.C.!

Today was a lazy day.  Since I last wrote, I have gone to karaoke and sang "Just a Friend" by Biz Markie.  I like rapping at karaoke whilst wearing a princess hat.  It makes me feel empowered.

Today, I ate soft-serve vegan ice cream from Sticky Fingers.  It was amazing.

I also saw Super 8, which was amazing.

Then I ate vegan nachos and a vegan quesadilla, which were amazing.

I am so full.

I am very excited about doing a twee special format show on KCPR, and I'm very excited that the first two shows will be hosted by a very special and trusted guest, who is pretty damn twee himself!  This whole thing means discovering new music and getting to get down to the core of my being...which is a cuddly, perpetually heartbroken, yet still somewhat sunny person.

TOMORROW, Rachel and I are driving to Watkins Glen, NY, where we will be all farmy!!!  I can't wait to get to the farm.  That's what I've been most excited about for months.  GOAT CUDDLES!!!!!  SHEEP-FUCKING!!!!  Wait, what???

D.C. So Far

Today was my second day in Washington, D.C., and so far, I'm very impressed!  Yesterday, I visited the Smithsonian American History and Natural History Museum.  I hadn't been since I was 8 years old, and those museums seemed so much BIGGER back then!  They are still very big, but much more "doable" now.  Maybe that's because I don't mind just doing the parts of the museum that interest me the most.  The Natural History Museum had a REALLY cool nature photography exhibit, as well as an interesting traveling race exhibit.  I also saw the Hope Diamond, which doesn't impress me much.

The American History Museum was full of patriotic/war/American History stuff, so I stuck to the pop culture things!  Fonzie's jacket, Julia Child's kitchen, Michael Jackson's hat (which is a very ordinary-looking hat, actually), etc.  Rachel and I also had lunch in the food court at the Post Office Building.  Yummy yummy all-vegetarian Indian food!  Plus, we took the elevator to the top of the building so that I could get my bearings and Rachel could point out the D.C. landmarks.  I also walked through the National Portrait Gallery, where I decided which historical figures were the HOTTEST.  Alexander Hamilton--You win!

It's really sticky-hot here, although I know it gets even worse than this.  I don't do well in heat.  Plus, everything is really over-air-conditioned, so there's a lot of body temperature shock going on.

Last night, Jeff, Rachel, and I went to a vegan soul food place for dinner.  I had a vegan steak and cheese sub, which was VERY saucy and good!  The Mac and "Cheese" didn't impress me as much.  I want ooey gooey Daiya-y saucy Mac and Cheese, and this was more like...nutritional yeasty.  Then, we went to check out the Memorials.  It's a pretty long walk to get to the Memorials, and I'm not sure if I felt like it was worth it.  The Lincoln Memorial is pretty rad, but more importantly, there was a WICKED lightning storm lighting up the sky while walking around the Mall.  Very cool.  Very postcard.  I really wanted to go to the Jefferson Memorial and dance, which is "illegal," but then I got bored/tired and just wanted to go home.  The public transportation here is pretty good, but it surprisingly doesn't reach very many of the touristy spots, so there is a lot of walking to be had.  It's times like these that I wish I wasn't wearing 2-year old flip flops that make me feel like I'm walking barefoot.  It's times like these that I really wish my spine was straight.

Today, we went to the Holocaust Museum, which was amazing.  It's really well laid-out and effective.  It was not only an emotional message, but also a great history lesson.  The museum is laid-out in a linear way that takes you through history and acts as a tour guide (without being an annoying person).  I especially like that after you are through with the Holocaust/WW2, there's a very poignant section on genocides that are going on today (Darfur, anyone?).  It's a good reminder that there are still plenty of murders that people aren't stepping in to stop.  It makes me feel really guilty, actually.  All of the visuals and facts about concentration/labor/killing camps really remind me of factory farming.  Why isn't anyone paying attention to THAT?

Before the Holocaust Museum, we went to Sticky Fingers, an all-vegan restaurant/bakery.  I had an amazing brownie.  I will be going back for STICKY BUNS.

For late lunch, we went to Cafe Green, another all-vegan restaurant.  I had an avocado/Daiya/tempeh/spinach/saucy panini.  It was DELICIOUS.  This is a really great city for vegan food.

Things D.C. has that SLO does not:

1. Humidity
2. Lightning Bugs
3. Black People

Even though D.C. is pretty cool, I am so not a city girl.  I don't like having things take forever to get to.  And germs.  And crowds of people.  And everything costing money (except for all the public museum stuff here).  I love me some mid-size cities!  Shout out to SLO and YC!

TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO COSTUME KARAOKE.

America's Ball Sack

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Summer Vacation!!!

Hi Blog-Readers!  I'm done whining about ex-boyfriends now.  Are you happy about that?  I sure am.  I finally feel happy and free for the first time in a long time.  Hopeful!  Not like a terrible person!  Not boiling with rage or weighed down by guilt!  What a weight off my shoulders and bed, amirite?

Anyway, enough about that.  Really.  I'm in LA right now, about to embark on an almost-two-week long journey!  Tomorrow, I'm flying out of LAX for Washington, DC, where I'm spending a few days with my friend Rachel and her boyfriend, Jeff.  I studied abroad in New Zealand with Rachel in 2008 and we did a fair amount of traveling together there, as well as a road trip up to Vancouver in 2009, so I know we are good travel buddies.  I'm really looking forward to having her show me around her city, which I haven't visited since I was eight years old!  I remember being really mystified by Washington, DC as a kid, and I'm sure I'll get so much more out of it now.  Plus, everything is free (unless you consider the tax dollars...)!!!  Smithsonians, memorials, HOLOCAUST MUSEUM (yaaaay!) -- FREE!  Such good news for my ever-shrinking checking account and ever-growing Daddy Debt.

On Friday, Rachel and I are driving up to Watkins Glen, New York, where we will be staying with my former co-worker, Cyndy!  Watkins Glen is the home of Farm Sanctuary, the largest farm animal sanctuary in the U.S., and site of my life-changing summer internship in 2009.  I cannot express how excited I am to go to the farm!  The whole world falls away in this vegan bubble, full of people who have devoted their lives to better the lives of farm animals.  Also, I get to cuddle with some sheep and goats!  I'm hoping some of my goat/sheep friends from 2009 are still there (including my boyfriend, Cash, who tried to mount me on my last day at the farm).  This place isn't just a farm animal sanctuary, but it's also a sanctuary for people, and I'm really glad I get to share that with Rachel.  On Saturday and Sunday, the farm is holding a retreat for former interns, complete with guest speakers, a bonfire, and plenty of vegan food!  Hopefully I can finally score big with Gene Baur, the Farm Sanctuary founder and my biggest celebrity crush (tied with J-Timb!).

Rachel will go back to Washington, DC on Sunday or Monday, and then my sister and her husband, Adam, will pick me up from the farm on Tuesday!  They are currently on a giant roundtrip, cross-country road trip, and the timing worked out perfectly for me to tag along with them for a few days!  I'll be joining them for the Niagara Falls, Toronto, and Chicago portion of their trip.  I haven't been to any of those places, so I'm pretty excited!  I will hopefully get to see my friend, LeoLin, in Chicago and eat at Chicago Diner (vegan landmark).

I fly home on July 2nd, and return to real life.  Wah wahhhhh.  I couldn't be more excited!!

Everything's coming up roses!  ( <---- gaayyy)