To Every End There Is A Beginning…

It’s not every day that you have a life changing experience.  Some would go as far as to say that they are difficult to come across, as if we are only allotted a certain number of them in our lifetime.  Why?  We have 365 days in each year of our lives to learn, to thrive, to evolve.  So why do we pass up so many opportunities to do so?  Most likely, we are not going to have 365 epic, dramatic life events each year, but why close off to the possibility that we could?  In the three months that I spent driving around our beautiful country, this is the most valuable lesson I came home with.  Life is richer when you open to that possibility.  Because once you do, the number of those life changing experiences increases and you are suddenly filled with more epic moments than you could possibly recall in one conversation…

My final days on the road could not have been filled with more amazing moments.  The drive from Portland to Teton Village/Jackson Hole was long but fantastically gorgeous.  The landscape in Oregon was beautiful and peaceful, and the sunset that welcomed us in Wyoming had me speechless.  The sky was colored with the most vibrant shades of pink, purple and orange.  Though I had seen the Wyoming sky once before when I drove through the night from Boulder to San Fran, this was the first time I had seen it lit up with such color.  Intoxicated off of that sunset, we finished our drive through the mountains, all smiles.  You know that feeling you get after a REALLY relaxing massage?  Well mix that with the “butterflies in your stomach” sensation, and thats how I felt stepping out of the car in Teton Village; instantly happy, calm, content.   Our accommodations were nestled against a mountain, next to a gondola and right outside of Grand Teton National Park.  Perfect doesn’t begin to describe it.  We checked in, unpacked and immediately called the front desk to book an extra night.  I could not pass up the opportunity to stay longer… It was love at first sight.

While in the Tetons, we packed in as much as we possibly could over the course of a few days, starting with whitewater rafting on the Snake River.  A few hours of fun rapids accompanied by new friends and several bald eagles, made for the perfect morning.  Parting from our awesome rafting guide and fellow travelers, we headed towards Grand Teton for our first hike, Phelps Lake at the bottom of Death Canyon.  I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves…

The following day we headed to a different section of the park for some kayaking, swimming and more hiking.  We rented a tandem kayak and spent the morning and afternoon on String Lake, one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.  The entire lake is walkable, and I am not referring to the trail on its perimeter.  As we paddled around the lake, there was also a couple walking through it.  The lake is so shallow throughout, that we could get out of the kayak at any point and stand up.  And it is crystal clear.  I felt like I was kayaking through the Caribbean, in the middle of the mountains.  See for yourself… 

We ended our last day with an evening in Jackson Hole and dinner at a place called Local.  After an unbelievable, fresh, locally caught trout dinner, we headed back to Teton Village to pack for the trek home.

I didn’t want to leave.  This place captivated my heart and begged me to stay.  The hiking is phenomenal and the list of things to do outdoors is endless.  But what really got me was the sky.  At home in New Jersey I could spend hours looking up on a clear night.  But in Wyoming, I have never seen something more spectacular.  The night sky and the stars were so vast, they just swallow you whole.  It was mesmerizing and unforgettable.  Remember those life changing moments I was telling you about?  Well laying under the Wyoming sky was one of them.  I have had many this summer, but they all come in different shapes and sizes.  Some moments were conquering fear, while others were personal growth, learning, or connecting with someone.  In whichever way these moments presented themselves, all were powerful, life changing and memorable.

The time finally came for me to finish this trip.  The plan was to leave the Tetons, drive all day, stay overnight in Nebraska, drive all day, stay overnight in Ohio and then drive the final hours straight back to New Jersey.  Well surprise, surprise, the plans changed.  About 4 hours into our drive out of Wyoming, I looked at mom and knew we were thinking the same thing.  We had no hotel reservations yet, so why not just keep driving? Well that’s exactly what we did until we got to New Jersey.  35 hours straight on the road and we were home.  I don’t know if it was adrenaline or the fact that I’ve gotten used to long drives, but we did it.  As soon as my tires hit the driveway, I slammed the car in park, bolted up the stairs and nearly broke my back jumping into the open arms of my family. Happy family, happy puppies and yummy cupcakes greeted me as I arrived home.  What an amazing feeling.

The decision to adventure alone across the country was the scariest, most exciting, and wisest decision I could have made for myself.  Answering the call of the mountains, and my curiosities, turned into so much more than I could have hoped for.  While I learned a lot through my research, I learned far more about myself.  It’s silly, but sometimes the hardest people to trust and be honest with is ourselves. Traveling solo gave me no choice but to trust the fact that I possess all the tools necessary to do absolutely everything my heart desires.  But I could not be more thankful for those uncomfortable moments, the ones that drew me out of my comfort zone to put me in that mindset.  I look back now and realize that my trip wouldn’t be half of what it was without them.  I may have never climbed to the tippy top of Bell Rock, learned about all of those companies, or made amazing friends out of complete strangers.  Those life changing experiences I keep talking about, well those don’t happen without some open-mindedness and trust.  Being completely authentic with myself and trusting that people are generally good is what allowed me to jump in, take risks, and come home with some bad-ass stories.   Following my passions and embracing everything that the present moment has to offer, has elevated my life in so many ways.   So often I hear about the “finer things in life”, as if it’s something to strive for.  If I can pass along anything that I have learned, it is that the finer things are right in front of you…

So what now?  Well, currently I am in New Jersey, making up for a summer’s worth of conversation with family and friends.  But I am so excited to put all of my research, learning and passion to use!  Who knows where that will take me.  Perhaps those wide skies will draw me back to the Northwest.  That was the one part of the country, apart from the tri-state, that I could truly see myself living in.   Perhaps I will end up in Philadelphia working at a B-Corp.  But like I said, who knows : ).  I trust that my heart will lead me to exactly where I will be happy and making a difference in the world.  The possibilities are endless, how exciting!!

To everyone who has been keeping up with my adventures and my research, thank you so much for your support and interest.  I cannot express my gratitude enough for your support and your presence in my life.

-Namaste-

Celebrate The Journey, Not The Schedule

As much as I have tried to “wing it” these past few months, my adventures have also involved a good deal of research, which requires a bit of planning.  Organization and to-do lists are my thing, so that part of my travels has been a breeze.  But because I am so oriented towards planning, I have had to teach myself some patience while learning to jump into new cities without a solid itinerary.  Doing so has also really prepared me and helped me through the hiccups I’ve experienced along the way;  my car breaking down in Denver, a few flats on my bike in Sedona, accommodations falling through in San Fran and Colorado, an injury from a mountain biking accident, my car and belongings beings stolen.  By removing the expectation of everything going according to plan, all of those things were much easier to deal with.  Sure, I still made plans and had lists of things I wanted to do and see.  But when there was a bump in the road, I could roll with it and welcome in new unexpected experiences as a result.

Because I had to deal with the mess of my stolen car, I lost the time I set aside to research in San Francisco.  I was excited to see what this city had to offer in terms of sustainability and social impact.   And San Fran is home to SO MANY B-Corps. I had plans to visit headquarters, see various companies, and just soak in as much as I could.  Unfortunately, very little of that actually happened.  After the dust had settled around the car theft, I was able to at least look at the long list of B-Corps in the Bay area.  Not surprisingly, my eyes went straight to familiar companies, though I had no prior knowledge that they were certified.  Sure enough, these companies provide services and products which I have been using since I left Jersey!  To name a couple that you might recognize… Couchsurfing and Guayaki Sustainable Rainforest Products.

Couchsurfing is a social network for global hospitality, with over 100,000 cities around the globe populated with its members.  Couchsurfers like myself can do a number of things after they complete a profile.  I can host travelers coming through my city,  meet fellow travelers for a night out, find travel companions to share adventures and gas expenses with, or find a couch to sleep on for a night or a few while I am traveling.  Though the idea of trusting a stranger to give me a place to sleep was initially very scary, I quickly got over my fear after my first “surf”.  It was also comforting knowing that my hosts had been verified by the website and had dozens of positive reviews.  So while the idea may take some getting used to, there are plenty of ways to make sure you are staying with safe, friendly people.  Dennis and Amie, my first hosts, not only gave me a place to sleep in Telluride, but they also spent hours showing me around town, introducing me to new friends, and cooking me meals.  Within hours of my arrival, Dennis took me to Town Park to participate in a volleyball game and gave me an endless list of suggestions for the rest of my stay.  Amie, his girlfriend, is the woman who took me on that insane bike ride through the mountains and introduced me to Kim from EcoAction Partners.  My Couchsurfing visits in Denver, Boulder and the Bay Area were equally as amazing.  So not only did this social network provide me with free accommodations, but it was also the catalyst to many amazing experiences and new friendships.  Though I can see now that the experience is just as rewarding for hosts as it is for travelers, it still amazes me that complete strangers open their homes to each other out of pure kindness and generosity.  I fully believe that this organization is making a huge difference in the way we see the world and connect to other people in it; changing the world through travel and elevating travel through connections.

While Couchsurfing provided me with a place to sleep, Guayaki Yerba Mate kept me awake during my 13 hour drives between cities.  This 100% organic, fair-trade certified drink made from the rainforest holly tree in South America, has the strength of coffee(without the jitters) and the health benefits of tea.  Without my loud music and yerba mate, I don’t know how I would have made it this far in my car.  Guayaki Sustainable Rainforest Products makes a number of beverages from loose teas to carbonated drinks.   It is 50% employee owned, pays a living wage to its growers, 100% of their transportation fleet uses alternative fuels, and they use sustainable harvesting to maintain the rainforest and biodiversity.  Furthermore, for every person that drinks 2 servings of yerba mate a day, approximately 1 acre of rainforest is saved each year.  For all of you coffee drinkers out there, pick up a yerba tomorrow!  See how you like it : ).    So despite the time that was taken away from my research, it turns out I have been utilizing Bay Area B-Corps all along.

A few days after my mom arrived in San Francisco, we continued my trip as planned(for the most part).  Given the fact that I didn’t have much to my name anymore, we went to Target to temporarily replenish my suitcase.  And though biking at this point was no longer possible, we still did most of what I set out to do in terms of adventuring and research.  Big Sur was next.  We left at dawn and drove down the beautiful coastal highway to our campsite.  The coast leading into Big Sur is unbelievable.  Cliff sides of multi-color stone layers draped in rainbows of flowers, grand bridges leading you over hidden caves and long stretches of crystal clear turquoise waters. Though difficult to control the impulse to stop at every scenic overlook, we wasted no time that day.  We drove straight to Jade Cove where hikers can walk down a steep path to this beautiful carved out section of the beach.  Immediately after descending, your eyes are welcomed with jade cliffs lining the water.  We spent the afternoon here climbing, hiking, relaxing and collecting jade to bring home.  A few years ago my mom came to this exact spot, found stones to bring home with her, and made gifts of them for me, my brother and my sister.   I have had that heart-shaped jade necklace around my neck everyday since I left home, and now I got to see where it came from.  After this magical place, we ate cliffside at Nepenthe and headed back to the campsite.  Even the campsite was breathtaking, on the side of a river and amongst the redwoods.  I couldn’t think of a better first night on the coast, relaxing by a campfire and taking in all the smells and sounds of the forest.  Early the next morning we started the day at Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn for the most outrageous breakfast yet.  After finishing a feast and a short-stack of blueberry whole wheat pancakes larger that my steering wheel, I’m surprised we weren’t rolled out of the establishment.  But somehow we got up, and trekked onto the trails behind the restaurant.  This was very similar to my hiking experience in Telluride, except these trees were HUGE and red.   You could literally fit a group of people inside one of the hollowed trunks. Throughout our stay in Big Sur we continued to see these unbelievable expressions of nature.  Here are some of my favorite shots from that week…

It was difficult to say goodbye to Big Sur, but I knew there were more beautiful places waiting for me ahead.  Portland being the first of them.  We arrived late, settled in and set out early the next morning for a funky neighborhood in the southeast.  Our first stop was New Seasons Market to stock up on some snacks for the road.  It also happens to be the first and only grocery store to achieve B-Corp status, ever!  Second to fresh paved roads, awesome grocery stores are like my playground.  Clearly I was a happy camper.  As soon as I stepped through those glass doors, my eyes lit up.  Think Whole Foods but better!  This locally owned company provides products ranging from groceries to books.  Everything that is sourced locally is labeled as such, so that customers can choose to support local too.  As I walked past all of the fresh food on the perimeter of the store, I noticed little pamphlets describing the family farms that they work with and pictures of regional vendors that are hung all over the walls.  They are all about community and the environment here.  New Seasons has also been verified as a Zero Waste Company, as 92% of their waste is directed away from landfills.  Pretty incredible for a grocery store!  Their footprint is small but their hearts are huge.  In further efforts to care for customers, New Seasons provides free wellness and nutritional services and 10% of profits are poured back into the community through donations to charitable organizations.  Being that we couldn’t spend such a gorgeous day indoors(though I could have spent hours more exploring the aisles), we forced ourselves to leave.  Yummy snacks in hand, we checked out and moved on to those funky southeast neighborhoods.

For the record, Portland takes the cake as my favorite city on this trip.  It is definitely somewhere I plan to visit again.  Neighborhoods are picturesque and have such a comfortable feel to them.  You are surrounded by bike lanes, farm-to-table restaurants, tea bars, unusual shops, food truck parks, and lots of trees.  I love that nature is just a reach away.  It took us 5 minutes to get from busy downtown to Forest Park, where we packed a picnic and spent some time hiking.   In addition to being surrounded by greenery, Portland is also rated as one of the most sustainable cities in the United States.  It is home to the nations highest percentage of bike commuters with 315 miles of developed bike paths.  It was also the first city to implement car sharing and has strategically timed traffic signals to reduce annual gas consumption(1.75 million gallons, more than 15,000 tons of C02 emissions).  We were constantly seeing and hearing about the most recent sustainability efforts throughout the city.  The number of projects is endless and very impressive.

Now I have to tell you about my favorite stop in Portland… B-Corp sushi!  Let me preface this with the fact that I love food.  Any and all kinds of food; Indian, Mexican, Italian, Greek, Asian, anything.  So much so that I created a restaurant database of Philadelphia a few years ago, for my personal use(obviously before I discovered OpenTable.com).  My best friend and I spend loads of time trying new restaurants and frequenting our favorites.  But I find myself torn between the decision to buy fresh, sustainably sourced food to cook at home, and going out to eat somewhere that likely pays minimal attention to their impact.  The restaurant industry is one of the most wasteful in the world and sustainable restaurants are few and far between.  Unfortunately, many restaurants choose to stray from sustainability because they believe it will effect the success of their business. The result of this thinking ends in the unethical treatment of animals, depleting of natural resources, food and energy waste, stressful work environments, etc.  The list is long and sad, yet it is something most of us do not think about when we pick up that menu.  What if we could indulge in the culinary creations of these establishments AND do some good in the process?  Bamboo Sushi in Portland, Oregon asked this question from a business perspective and created the first certified, sustainable sushi restaurant in the world.  This B-Corp instantly had my heart and drew me to its tables during my last evening in Portland.  When we were handed our menus, the first thing I saw on the cover was a list of their sustainable partners; The Marine Stewardship Council, Salmon Nation, Blue Ocean Institute, Monterey Bay Aquarium, KidSafe Seafood, and the Green Restaurant Association.  Even before the first glance at the food on the menu, you know you are making a wise choice dining with Bamboo Sushi.  And if that list was not enough to catch your attention, sustainability is written all over the menu, literally.  For every page of delicious food, there is a page dedicated to describing each partner and the relation it has to the restaurant.  Page 5, my favorite, greets you with a huge ‘Certified B Corporation’ label, with a nice explanation of what that means.  Though it was my research that lead me to the restaurant that night, I walked out with more information than I walked in with.

Bamboo walks the talk with 100% power purchased from renewable energy resources, biodegradable to-go containers, composting and recycling programs, and reusable, sustainably harvested chopsticks.  Furthermore, all of their food is ethically and responsibly sourced.  Fish, while a healthy choice and great source of protein, is not necessarily the most sustainable meal.  Commercial boats, over-fishing, and bycatch have destroyed our ocean’s ecosystems.  If we continue to source seafood this way, there will be no fish left in the ocean.  Bamboo on the other hand does things differently and is working towards making an even bigger change outside of their business’ operations.  They know where their seafood comes from, who is catching it, how it is caught, and how it gets to their kitchens.  It is incredible how aware they are of their impact, what they are doing about it, and how effortlessly they convey this to their customers.  Much like the ChocolaTree in Sedona, Bamboo Sushi is transparent about what they do, how they do it and why. They are more than thrilled to educate everyone on their mission and vision.  The staff in particular are well versed and excited about all of the good things that Bamboo does.  Unlike most restaurants, the employees at Bamboo interact more like a family and stand strongly behind the product they sell.  Collaboration, education and support are at the core of this family and they clearly thrive because of it.  The minute our waitress heard about my trip and the research I have been doing, she sent out the Director of Operations, Brandon Hill, who happened to be in the restaurant that night.  He was incredibly friendly and made us feel even more glad to have chosen Bamboo that night; more than willing to answer all of my questions, share all about Bamboo culture and offer suggestions of things to do in Portland.  At this point, my night had gone from great to spectacular!  I was in my element, surrounded by great people, eating phenomenal food in a beautiful city, and proud to be driving change through my dinner purchase.  It was the perfect end to my stay in Portland.

I am thankful for the smooth road in Oregon, but ready and excited for anymore bumps in the road.  Tall mountains and wide skies await me.  Bring it on Wyoming!

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” -Martin Buber

I Left My Things in San Francisco

     Last year, if you were to ask anyone where I spent the majority of my time, they would likely tell you, “her car”.  I spent a great deal of time commuting to and from school, work, North Jersey, South Jersey, and Philadelphia.  I also happen to enjoy driving, so weekend trips were pretty frequent especially during football season(Go Steelers!).  So it is no surprise that after graduation, the first thing I decide to do is spend even more time with my car, driving across the country.  These past few months have given the phrase, “live out of your car” a new and very literal meaning for me.  Though sometimes not ideal, I have really had a blast living out of my car… until last week.

     Upon arriving in San Fran, I linked up with my friends Shaun and Izzy who had just finished moving their life to the Bay Area from New Jersey.  I spent my first  three evenings in the Berkley/Walnut Creek/Oakland area with them.  We even took a day trip to Stenton Beach.  When it came time for me to make my way into San Fran, Shaun dropped me off at a hostel in Union Square.  Since I wouldn’t be using my car to get around and given the high rate of car theft in any city, I decided to leave my car at Shaun and Izzy’s house(located in a safe, suburban neighborhood).  The days that followed were wonderful.  San Francisco is a beautiful city.  I had seafood in Fisherman’s Wharf, walked down crooked Lombard St, took a run down to the Bay Bridge, relaxed in Alamo Square, strolled through Haight, ate at Mission Chinese, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, visited Sausalito, and watched the fireworks at Pier 39. The weather was perfect, transportation was easy, clearly there was a lot to see and do, and I could not have asked for a better roommate.  Jackie, my beautiful new Aussie friend, shared a bunk with me at the hostel and we spent some time exploring the city together.   The best part about this trip has truly been the amazing people I have met along the way, some of which will stay life-long friends.   

     After a wonderful night celebrating July 4th at the pier, I woke up, said goodbye to Jackie as her journey continued east, and ran to a cycling class near the water.  As my endorphins were running high during spinning, I got a phone call from Shaun… the car was gone.  My heart stopped, the tears started rolling and I had no idea what to do.  The only thing I could think of at the time is that my life was in that car; my mountain and road bikes, nearly every bit of clothing and jewelry I owned, a mini library of at least 20 amazing books, all of my hiking, biking and yoga supplies, the gifts I had bought for people along the way, all of my electronics, and some things I hold dear to my heart for when I got home sick.  Basically, it was everything I would have packed if I was moving, with the exception of furniture.  I had no idea where this trip would take me or how long I would be away from home, so I came prepared for ANYTHING.  Apparently this was one thing I could not be prepared for.   I took every possible precaution so that this would not happen, yet it still did.  When I went to the hostel, the only things I packed were enough clothes to last me a few days, travel size toiletries, my purse, my iPad, my notebook and my phone.  And now, that is all I am left with.  Oh, and my car.  Shortly after filing a police report, it was recovered with no significant damage to the vehicle, but it was empty.   

      It took a few hours, but after I put some food in my stomach and had some time to process the situation, things didn’t seem so bad anymore.  I’m alive right? I have my life, I have my family, I have my friends.  And to top it off, I’ve had an EPIC summer traveling.  So what did these people really take from me?  Nothing that matters enough.  Given the choice, I would rather have a mom who hops on the first plane to San Francisco, than a car full of things.  She heard what happened around 10:30am, and by 9:30pm she was on the west coast.  Without a second thought, and without me even asking, dad put her on the first plane out of New Jersey.   As if that wasn’t enough, I had an overwhelming amount of people offering their support and anything else I could possibly need.  If being surrounded with this much love and support isn’t wealth, then I have no idea what is.  All the money and things in the world could not compare to my family and friends.   

     Between the books I have read, people I’ve met, experiences I’ve had, and lessons I’ve learned on this adventure, the one theme that seems to hover around all of it is gratitude.    Everything happens with a purpose, so maybe this was just meant to open my eyes a little wider to gratitude.  So in the spirit of that, I hope whoever took my belongings found some joy in it and is now living more contently.  Climb a mountain with that hiking gear! Enjoy some silence and read a book from my library.  Give my clothes to people who have none!  And PLEASE, give that beautiful carbon fiber bike to someone who will kill it up those San Francisco hills.  As for me, I am going to spend the next two weeks adventuring home, with mom : ).   Big Sur, Portland and Grand Tetons, here we come!

Boulder, Brew, Benefit…

Though I was born and raised in New Jersey, I have referred to myself as a Philadelphian for the past few years.  Don’t get me wrong, I love New Jersey and it will always be my home state.  But as soon as mom drove off after moving me into my first apartment, Philadelphia quickly became my place of belonging, my home.  Given the choice and the means to do so, I would move back into the city in a heartbeat.  In fact, I plan to do so when I return to the east coast.  There are many reasons why I love Philadelphia and why I am proud to call it home… the food, the community, the parks, the accessibility, the “brotherly love”, the culture, the art, the sports.  I know it very well at this point and I am quick to judge other cities because I am so partial to Philly.  But while I have spent the past few months researching the sustainable and social impact practices of other parts of the country,  I don’t have enough information about my own city to use it as another point of comparison.  I find myself saying things like, “I wonder if Philly does this too”.  For someone with so much Philly pride, I feel ashamed of the need to ask these questions.   Furthermore, while I continue to learn so much about the B-Corps on the west coast, I am clueless about the B-Corp community in Philadelphia.  What’s funny is that B-Lab(the non-profit that certifies B-Corps) is headquartered just outside of the city.  Needless to say, I have a lot to learn when I get back home, and I could not be more excited for it!

Much like Philadelphia has its own flavor, so do the cities in Colorado.  Denver seemed to have a hyper, party scene going on, while Boulder was mellow and artsy.  For that reason, I promptly left Denver after TED and spent the next few weeks in Fort Collins and Boulder.  Fort Collins is a huge college and beer town about 90 minutes north of Denver.  My friend Jake moved out to F.C. a few years ago and I finally decided to take him up on an open invitation to visit.  Within my first few hours in town, he took me up to Horsetooth Reservoir to see the sunset.  This place is stunning, though it wasn’t the sun or the water that first caught my attention.  It was the roads… cyclist heaven!  I proceeded to start each of my mornings riding these gorgeous hills.  That same week we took a spur day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, which I cannot even begin to describe.  At 12,000 feet elevation you can see miles and miles of snow peaked mountains, lush forests, and high elevation lakes.  The park itself is enormous and full of hiking trails that you could spend a year exploring.  What I loved about Colorado is that no matter where you are, great hiking is never too far away.

Horsetooth at sunset

The bottom of Rocky Mountain National Park

Despite my best efforts to ignore the overwhelming beer community in Fort Collins, my most memorable experience in F.C. was at a brewery.  New Belgium is just one of several breweries in Fort Collins.  People here love their beer!  While I can attest to their great tasting brew, that is not what lead me to NBB(New Belgium Brewery) that day.  NBB is a B-Corp!  The only one in Fort Collins actually.  Because of this, I immediately booked a tour of the brewery.  I was expecting a decent beer tasting and perhaps some information on their sustainability programs.  What I got instead was SO much more.  Up to this point I have been consistently impressed by the initiatives and practices of the B-Corps I have researched on the west coast.  But NBB takes it to a completely different level of amazing… prepare to be amazed!

Let’s first walk through what it’s like to be an employee of NBB.  On your one year  anniversary as an employee you receive two things; a brand spankin’ new NBB bike, and ownership of the company!  NBB is 100% employee owned and they not only encourage alternative transportation, they work with you to make it possible.  Whether it’s the bike you receive on your 1 year anniversary, the charging stations for electric cars, the Prius provided for company errands, the bike parking and showers, or the loaner bikes on-site, NBB makes it 100% possible for everyone to use sustainable transportation.  Employees are also provided with all of the following benefits… flex-time and telecommuting, a trip to Belgium on their 5 year anniversary, a rock climbing wall in the brewery, sand volleyball courts, an indoor slide, use of the on-site community kitchen, discounted gym memberships, weight-loss program discounts, access to smoking cessation plans, yoga twice a week, voting and bereavement leave, a 4 week paid sabbatical on their 10th, 20th and 30th anniversary, acupuncture, and assistance paying for triathlons and bike races with the wellness committee budget.  On top of all of this, employees also receive paid time off for volunteering.  In 2012, 3000 hours of service were donated by NBB employees!

New Belgium is the 3rd largest craft brewer in the United States.  To some, that may mean that they make a lot of beer.  To me, that means they have influence and the power to make a serious difference as a company.  In terms of sustainability, they are true inspirations.  As I walked around the brewery, sipping on La Folie and Paardebloem, I listened to the guide explain NBB’s zero waste and minimum footprint efforts.  They live, breathe, and walk sustainability at this facility… porous asphalt sidewalks, solar power on rooftops for day energy, use of reclaimed materials and beetle-kill pine for all furnishings in the tasting room, treatment on-site for all production waste water, spent grain from the brewing process is sold to local farmers as cattle feed, on-site highly sophisticated recycling center, methane gas by-product is used in the brewery to power a generator during peak hours(accounting for 15% of electricity needs), wind credits used to power the rest of the facility, 90% of hops sourced from the northwest US, all glass and cardboard is from Colorado, and most rooms in the facility are lit with natural light.  WHOA, right?!  It’s overwhelming, and I am sure there is more that can be added to that list.

Not only does NBB spread the “good” through their employees and their facilities, they also have quite a few other tricks up their sleeve that make it hard to resist giving them business.  One being that 5.9% of their profits go to charity.  They are also in the process of building an east coast facility in Ashville, NC to minimize on transportation costs.  The new facility is being built on a brownfield site rather than on potential agricultural land and eliminating natural habitat.  In addition, NBB is working with local Ashville partners to install bike and pedestrian infrastructures; financing more sidewalks and bike lanes from the center of town to their new location.   New Belgium also hosts a number of events each year.  My favorite is the Tour de Fat, a free costumed bike parade, held in about a dozen cities nationwide.  All gross revenues from the event are donated to local cycling non-profits to support each community that the parade rolls through.  And in support of cycling awareness and bike advocacy, Tour de Fat has a “Trade Your Car For A Bike Challenge”.  Those who choose to partake in the challenge, hand over their keys and pledge to be car-free for 1 year.  I was very surprised to hear how many people actually take the pledge!  Finally, NBB really advocates for responsible drinking.  This business was built on a desire to create quality, tasty, craft beer.  Contrary to many other beer companies who mass produce and sell cheap beer for “quantity” drinking.   In promoting quality over quantity, NBB sponsors beer dinners to foster an appreciation for it and educate drinkers, their tasting room limits tasters to 4 small pours(education above consumption), the company cancels any and all events that are too focused on drinking, and the beer is priced at point to avoid “bulk” buying for heavy drinking.  Though I am not much of a drinker, I think it’s clear that my choice would be New Belgium.

From Fort Collins I made my way to Boulder for a few days.  If i had to give a “flavor” to this city, it would be healthy and active.  The minute I arrived in town it was easy to see why this was named the most “fit” city in the United States.  Everyone is in shape and walks around with a smile.  It is so true that healthy people are happy people.  If you are a health fanatic like myself, you probably know how difficult it can be to scope out healthy and ethically sourced food options.  Well, in Boulder I didn’t even have to “google it”.  Farm to table restaurants, organic eateries and juice bars are everywhere!  The healthy/happy attitude and lifestyle are infectious here, I could hardly contain the urge to skip down Pearl Street and belt out a big “woohoo!”.   On one of my days here I spent some time with my new friend Julian(who I coincidentally met on top of Bell Rock in Sedona), letting out that positive energy on some light hiking trails.   I did not get to do as much hiking as I would have liked in Boulder, no thanks to a bum knee from a mountain biking accident a few days prior.  Regardless, we spent time on the gorgeous creek that runs along the side of town and sipping on Bhakti Chai(a B-Corp based in Boulder!).  Speaking of B-Corps, there are quite a few in the Boulder area.. Vendante Corp, a reflective apparel company; Cellular Recycle, keeping e-waste from landfills through fundraising programs and responsible disposal options; ThinkImpact Corporation, a global social enterprise leveraging local resources and community collaboration; Best Organic’s, organic and sustainable gift baskets.

There are dozens of them in Boulder and scattered around Colorado.  It was here that I really got to see the power of these corporations.  Many of these companies have a wide range of competitors, but the B-Certification distinguishes them from the others.  For example, Bhakti Chai is served prepackaged in markets and in cafes as a hot or iced drink.  In most cases, you will also see 3rd Street Chai as an option on the shelf or on the cafe menu.  How do you choose? They cost the same, both use fair-trade and organic ingredients and are equally tasty.   I chose Bhakti and convinced a few other people to also.  Why?  Bhakti is a B-Corp.  I later researched more about Bhakti and found out that they pay a living wage, have zero-waste manufacturing, give preference to local suppliers and banks, give employees paid time off for volunteering, have social and environmental criteria for suppliers, and 10% of their profits go to charity.  That is DEFINITELY a company I want to give preference to.  Clearly this is not all written on the label of my prepackaged chai, and the barista serving it is certainly not going to blurt this information over the counter.  But because I know what B-Corp means, I can make a decision that I know will support a company making a positive impact on the world.

As I continue in my adventures, I will keep making these decisions and stay educated on what companies are certified.  Let me leave you with this challenge… go to the B-Corporation website, look up some companies in your area, look for the B-Corp label, and give yourself informed options.  Here, I’ll give you a head start for your next trip to the grocery store… Numi Tea is a B-Corp and Method Products are too! San Francisco is next, and from what I have researched so far, it looks like B-Corp central!   Bring on the benefit! : )

A Day with TED

       What do you think of when you hear the word “innovation”? “Revolutionary”?  I assume most of us immediately think of technology.  Naturally that is what comes to mind for me.  But let me challenge you to think of innovation in a different way today.  If any of you have been to a TED convention or are well versed in online TED talks, you should know what I’m talking about.  The non-profit TED organization is dedicated to spreading good ideas, many of which have nothing to do with technology.  The world’s best thinkers and doers gather together to give talks under 20 minutes, covering subjects such as philanthropy, environmental issues, arts, ethics, medicine, technology, education, design, etc.  When we challenge the norm with different ways of thinking, eventually change follows and that’s exactly what innovation and revolution seek to do, create change.  Look at our history, even just in the past 50 years.  Cell phones and Ipads created tremendous change in our way of life, but so did shifts in thought.  Raw thoughts and the actions that stem from them have the potential to be so powerful, and that’s what TED is focused on, idea revolutions.

       Throughout my education, I have been exposed to various TED talks.  Most of them were shared in my business classes, but some of my GER’s used them as teaching tools also.  In my last semester I took a Perspectives on Leadership class.  One day mid-semester we watched a TED talk by Drew Dudley called Leading with Lollipops.  The man in this video spoke of leadership, but nothing you would ever expect to hear in a classroom(though it doesn’t surprise me I heard it at SJU).  There was no talk of strategy, strengthening your management skills, or broadening your knowledge of the industry.  His message was simple, short, and very powerful.  I could not even begin to convey his message well enough, so I encourage you to click on the link and find out for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVCBrkrFrBE

Needless to say, this man’s six minute talk is something I will never forget, and something I have continued to pass on since that day in class.  And whether this man’s words reach you the same way they did me, there is something at TED for everyone.  When I found out that there was a TED event in Denver during my time in Colorado, I immediately looked into volunteering.  Volunteering not only gave me direct access to networking opportunities, pre-event gatherings, and free admission, but it also gave me the opportunity to support something that has given me a wealth of inspiration and knowledge on subjects inside and outside of my field.  The theme of the Denver event this year was Values and Instincts, “What happens when our values and instincts align? What happens when they don’t?”  From a leadership perspective, leaders(you, me, that guy, anyone!) line up their actions based on their values, which determines the ultimate impact we will have on the world.  A good leader, I think, takes very careful consideration when determining values.  Not to say that the values ingrained in us throughout our lives are wrong, but we constantly run into situations that make us question these values.  A good person, a good leader, recognizes when something does not serve them or those around them, and adjusts accordingly.

My TED experience started the evening before the event.  Volunteers were invited to the VIP cocktail reception, where local food and brew was served.  In addition to free, yummy food, I had the opportunity to mingle with all of the other volunteers, VIP attendees, TED partners, and speakers.  Amongst some great conversation, I had the pleasure of meeting 3 really incredible people.  The first was Jeremy Duhon, the founder and curator of TEDxMileHigh.  This man, selected as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Young Professionals in Colorado, is much of the reason why this local TED event exists.  I then met Libby Birky, a cofounder of SAME(so all may eat) Café.  For those of you who are familiar with the JBJ Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, NJ, this is where Jon Bon Jovi found his inspiration.  It is an organic, locally sourced, healthy non-profit restaurant that operates under the “pay-what-you-can” model.  There are no prices on the menu, but at the end of your meal it is suggested to make a donation so that the establishment may continue to serve the community.  If you do not have funds to pay, you can donate your time and volunteer in the restaurant!  A few years ago I suggested to my family that we spend my birthday at JBJ Soul Kitchen.  Best birthday dinner experience I have ever had.  If you haven’t already taken a trip to Soul Kitchen, I would highly suggest doing so whenever you get the chance.  Finally, I ended my evening talking to Rachel Johnsen, the founder and CEO of the International Association of Women Small Business Owners.  An amazing, very driven individual  who has helped many women create success in their small businesses.

The next day is when all of the fun began.  I arrived in the morning to help set up and check in guests.  Each attendee received a program and a nametag.  The nametags were all printed on seed paper, which allows you to plant them in your garden when you get home.  What an awesome new twist on recycling!

The first two hours of the day were all about exhibitors.  Dozens of exhibits were set up outside the theater displaying new products, services, ideas, works of art, and local food.  The exhibitors were just as amazing as the speakers that day.  It gave volunteers and attendees the chance to be in a more social environment, engaging in activities and interacting with speakers.  It would take days to describe each of the exhibits, so I will just tell you about my favorites.  The first was non-profit Mountain2Mountain founded by Shannon Galpin, a rape survivor, mother and the first woman to mountain bike in Afghanistan.  This organization empowers women in conflict regions, through education and opportunity, to stand as agents for change in their culture and communities.  Next to this exhibit was Azure Furniture Co, which uses beetle-kill pine to create local, handmade furniture.  There are millions of acres of dead trees in Colorado as a result of bark beetle infestation.  The structure of the logs are not altered by this, which makes it useful for furniture production.  Unfortunately, companies are still cutting down acres of living trees.  Rather than follow the trend, Azure uses a more environmentally sustainable approach.  They use all Colorado-sourced beetle-kill pine for their furniture and practically everything added to the wood is sustainable too; all steel is recycled, finishes and coating are formaldehyde-free and laminates are made from recycled paper.  Next was Public Coffee, a mobile coffee shop.  I approached this exhibit expecting to sip on some tasty local coffee, but there was a catch.   I had to find someone to drink it with.  Each cup of coffee is strung to another cup with a conversation prompt.  Public Coffee visits various neighborhoods in Denver in a trailer equipped with a stage, PA system and projector.  These amenities are there for anyone to utilize.  Perhaps you want to hold a business meeting, or a study group; Public Coffee has you covered!  In addition, monetary payment is not required for a cup of whatever local roaster they are serving that day.  Much like SAME Café, they work off of a “pay what you can-pay it forward” model.

Just before the day was over I met my favorite exhibitor, ReWork.  I walked up to the table covered in paper and read, “What do you refuse to settle for?”.  Instantly intrigued, I grabbed a marker, wrote down my answer and inquired as to what they were educating the crowd about.   ReWork is an organization that connects skilled people, who want to make positive social and environmental impact, with employers that want this kind of talent.  Meaningful work is not exactly a piece of cake to find.  Luckily I have found some platforms such as the Net Impact and B-Corp job boards that post such opportunities.  But ReWork is slightly different from that.  Think emplyee/employer matchmaker rather than job board.  Instead of ending up in a deep pool of resumes, ReWork puts you in direct contact with hiring managers given there is a good match between the two.  Clearly this was my favorite because it is something I can utilize. But the icing on the cake is that ReWork is in the process of expanding their network with B-Lab(the non-profit that certifies Benefit Corporations)!  The dozens of other exhibitors at TED that day all had amazing things to share.  Some of them include… Denver B-Cycle, the city’s bike share program; Skratch Labs, an athletic hydration and fuel company; Design Case, upcycling education program; WalkDenver, dedicated to making Denver more walk-able; Walk2Connect, offering walking tours to promote health and community; And Gates Carbon Drive, a company that makes a chainless bike!

Undoubtedly, TED would be a great event with just the exhibits, but great becomes incredible when you throw in the food and the speakers.  The speakers started around 1pm, but before the volunteers shuffled into the theater, we ran out to the food trucks that were serving the event to grab some lunch.  I ended up at Queiro Arepas, for no other reason than it smelled really good.  With one look at the menu I found out that this truck was gluten free, almost zero waste(no bottled water, lids, straws, etc), local, organic and healthy.  Nothing could have ruined my day at this point!  Following lunch, we made our way into the theater and began listening to the amazing line-up of speakers.  Like the exhibits, there are far too many to describe in detail so I will stick to a few favorites.  Fortunately, in the spirit of spreading good ideas to as many people as possible, most TED talks are just a click away even if you did not attend the event.  I was especially captured by the words and ideas of Adam Brock and Ned Breslin. Adam Brock, urban permaculturalist, is the co-founder and director of operations at The GrowHaus, a non-profit indoor farm just outside of Denver.  The GrowHaus seeks to connect people to their ecosystems through the use of a community driven food system.  By providing healthy, affordable food to the community, they hope to raise awareness on sustainability and food justice.  In addition to this, Adam spoke about the importance of consuming food grown naturally in our local ecosystems.  Our reliance upon foods grown and processed in other parts of the country and the world is not sustainable.  I could not agree with him more, keep it local!  Ned Breslin, another speaker, is the CEO of Water for People.  This organization creates solutions for building and maintaining reliable safe water systems around the world.  It creates long term solutions by using local resources and local support systems(to avoid external dependency) and monitors these solutions for at least 10 years post-project.  But the majority of his talk was more general, addressing a bigger global aid issue.  Efforts to solve global problems need to be locally sustained, recorded, have transparency about results, and provide easily gathered data that is simple to understand.

In addition to Adam and Ned, several other speakers took the stage on a variety of subjects.  Just to name a few… Easton Lachappelle, a 17 year old working towards a new, affordable future of prosthetics;  Molina Speaks, poet/recording artist/college professor/lecturer/activist/social entrepreneur/youth advocate;  Shannon Galpin, Founder of Mountain2Mountain and humanitarian cyclist; Minor Disturbance, helping Denver youth find a voice through poetry and performance.  That doesn’t even touch half of the list of people that spoke and performed, but I think you get the point.  Ideas can be powerful, TED just gives them a louder voice.  So if you have not yet been exposed to beauty of TED, I encourage you to visit the website and start watching talks.  Be greater, expand your mind!  You’ll be glad you did, I promise.  : )

You had me at “Colorado”.

     Throughout my life, I have been blessed with opportunities to travel the world… Australia, Greece, New Zealand, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, Canada, and parts of the US.  My two wonderful parents have jumped at every opportunity to show me and my brother many of the world’s beautiful landscapes and cultures.  Our planet has an incredible array of majestic sights, cities and people, but I feel like we forget and take for granted the beauty that exists here in the United States.  Unfortunately, I do not think pictures do it justice, but our country is jam packed with beautiful natural landscape and history!  Costa Rica was certainly breathtaking with its many different climates and ecosystems, but I have found Colorado to possess some of the same qualities; towering mountains, snow caps, flowing rivers and waterfalls, canyons, deserts and hot springs.   Telluride, a small mountain town nestled inside a box canyon in southwest Colorado, is easily on par with Costa Rica(at least in my opinion).  This was my first stop after Sedona, and I could hardly contain my amazement as I drove through the San Juan Mountains to get there.  On one side of my car flowed the clearest, most beautiful river water I have ever seen, and on the other side was a rock face that hugged every winding turn I drove around.  In all directions jagged mountains seemed to lean in towards me, peaked with snow and painted with every possible natural color you could think of.  Everything seemed so grand and dramatic, and that was just the drive in.  Once I arrived in Telluride, now some 9,000 ft in elevation,  that effect was magnified and I had to stop my car to marvel at it’s magnificence before continuing on to my accommodations. 

     Originally, I had planned on visiting the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde also in southwest Colorado, but my research landed me in Telluride instead and I am SO glad.  Not only is Telluride a drop dead gorgeous mecca for hikers, bikers and skiiers, it is also very dedicated to sustainability.  With every encounter and inquiry, I learned something new about the sustainability efforts in this community.  While purchasing some fresh produce at the local market, I learned that plastic bags are banned from all establishments and the only chain that exists in town is ACE Hardware(which is a franchise and locally owned).  I was also enlightened about the free gondola powered by wind energy, which transports locals and visitors between the town of Telluride and the ski village in the mountain.  If you are looking for other transportation within town, there is also a program run out of the local library called the Telluride Townies.  This program allows you to check out bikes, just as you would books.  Though the supply is limited, it is an effective bike share program for a small town in which the majority of residents own and regularly use bicycles for transportation.  Streets, parks, lots, and corners were practically stacked with bikes, half of them left unlocked.  Unlocked bikes?!  Madness!  The notion of leaving my bike, my most valued and loved possession, unlocked to the risk of theft makes me cringe.  Perhaps that is just my “east coast” talking, as one local put it.  After conversing with a fellow cyclist in town, I learned that people are very trusting here.  On the rare occasion that a bike goes missing, it is likely that it was borrowed and could be found somewhere on the other side of town within a few days.

     The majority of biking in Telluride is for commuting rather than sport, but I did happen to meet a really wonderful woman named Amie who took me out on a local group ride through the mountains.  If long, steep hills are not your style, then I would not suggest coming to Telluride to bike.  Commuting in town is very easy on flat valley floor roads, but the minute you exit that last traffic circle there is no other option but up.  And up we went!  12 miles out and 12 miles back I struggled to keep pace with the skilled riders I ventured out with.  24 miles on the road in New Jersey is something I quite enjoy and do fairly quickly, but that is at sea level.  It did not take me very long to realize how difficult riding at 9,000 ft elevation is.  After mile 5 it was hard to imagine finishing the mostly uphill ride.  Fortunately I did and the woman who led the group, Becca, held back with me the whole time cheering me up each hill, though she could have easily been miles ahead of me.  On the ride back with some downhill, I could finally breath and we struck up conversation.  I soon found out that this woman and I had crossed paths once before, in New Jersey believe it or not.  Last year I volunteered at a Tough Mudder event that she participated in.  She qualified for and completed the “World’s Toughest Mudder”, which gathers the best of Tough Mudder participants to compete in a much more intense version of the normal race.  She is a truly inspiring individual who I feel very lucky to have met.  I likely would not have pushed myself and finished that ride without her.

     The next day, Amie introduced me to another amazing woman, Kim.  She is the energy coordinator for a local non-profit called EcoAction Partners.  Kim and this group of dedicated individuals spend their time increasing sustainability efforts in Telluride and the surrounding areas.  They focus on initiating and supporting community collaboration on projects involving energy, zero waste and food supply.  Their successful projects are endless and have created such an amazing impact.  I could not even begin to describe them all.  I think I was most intrigued by their CRT program for festivals.  Telluride is famous for hosting festivals that attract people from all around the country, whether it be for yoga, bluegrass, film, beer, etc.  EcoAction has acknowledged the fact that these festivals create an enormous amount of waste, and have implemented this CRT(compost, recycle, trash) program to create a practically zero waste event.  In preparation, coordinators make sure vendors are providing mostly compostable and recyclable items, and during the festival volunteers man these “CRT” stations to ensure proper disposal.  Furthermore, the food at the event is sourced locally and EcoAction booths are set up to further educate festival attendees on sustainability.  As Kim is explaining this to me, I cannot help but wonder if there are efforts like this for festivals in Philadelphia.  I have been to my fair share of concerts on the parkway and parades on Broad St., but I have never taken the time to search out these efforts.  I am conscious of recycling and making sure my trash ends up in a bin and not on the street, but that is certainly not the case for everyone.  There is an alarming number of people who pay no attention to where they throw their waste.  Years ago when I lived right on the parkway, I saw first hand the mess on the streets after an event.  Do clean up crews separate the waste?  Do volunteers direct people to recycling bins?  Is there a composting program?  I would be very interested to learn about this when I return to the city.  And if there is not such a program, how could I get involved in supporting or creating one?  

     Speaking with people in Telluride about sustainability is both refreshing and surprising.  From an outsider perspective, they are ahead of the game and very active in finding new ways to become more locally sustained and environmentally friendly.  But as I spoke with employees, owners of local shops and general residents, they have a very different way of looking at it.  On more than one occasion, dissatisfaction was the overwhelming response.  You can imagine how confusing that was for me as I awed at the progress they have made.  Usually, passion about sustainability and social impact is not hard to find, but the change that comes from it is slow because apathy about these things far outweighs the dedication.  Despite the fact that this is not the case in Telluride, the people here are still not satisfied.  They want to see more people involved, more programs created, more positive impact, and powerful change. How incredible is it that these people demand greatness from everything around them and refuse to settle?  They want to be surrounded by individuals and companies who give a damn about the people they serve, the locale they operate in, and the environment they thrive off of.  Telluride strives to be greater, and that’s the magis isn’t it?

     It’s funny how this word is something I knew nothing of before I went to Saint Joseph’s University, and now it is something I naturally gravitate towards and live by.  This Jesuit ideal of magis, inspired the person I chose to become during and after college, and will continue to inspire the way I live my life.  I think Helen Keller explains it well, “When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another”.  We as human beings possess such power with each choice we make, yet all too often decisions are made without consideration to others and at times ourselves.  Unintentionally we rob ourselves of opportunities to be better human beings or make a difference in someone else’s life.  So why not aim to live greater, in love, in service, in gratitude to yourself and to others?  Easier said than done, I know.  But I feel like there is a moment that we all reach(one would hope), when the meaning of our lives is directly correlated to this.  Without a healthy dose of it, we cease to feel whole.  Settling for less never feels right, but we do it all the time.  I am definitely a firm believer in the Law of Attraction.  Our thoughts and our actions surround us with people who think and act the same.  Seek to be enlightened, reach out a hand, push yourself to be better at everything, laugh a lot, and never stop any of it.  I try to live with this in mind, and many of the people I have encountered here seem to have the same attitude.  If the rest of Colorado is anything like this, I can only imagine what lies ahead of me these next few weeks.  What will I learn, who will I meet next?

 I think I’m going to like it here…

Happy Summer Solstice everyone!

I Never Met a Chocolate I Didn’t Like

     Tomorrow marks a new chapter in my journey across the country.  Sedona has captured my heart for the past 5 weeks, and though I am sad to be leaving, I am far more excited for the strange places that await me.  I have been coming to Sedona since I was a kid; jeep tours up the red rocks, dinners in town, renting mountain bikes, and family movies in the timeshare.  This would be the first time I have stayed so long, with new eyes, and alone.  It is amazing how different somewhere so familiar can look when you walk into it with a new mindset.  To my surprise, I am leaving here with one feeling that I had not expected… While feeling amazed, grounded, grateful, and happy, I am also disappointed.

     Amazed at how vast the beauty of this place is.  There are no limits to what you can discover in Sedona, which makes it such a magical place.  No trip or lifetime could be long enough to see everything it has to offer.  Grounded in my thoughts after having so much time to enjoy stillness.  Sedona has not only showed me it’s beauty, but it has taught me that taking time to breathe, to see, feel, and hear what is right in front of us is just as wonderful as exploring.  When we take the time to be conscious of our senses and our thoughts, first world problems and small stresses become unimportant.   Grateful and happy for having the opportunity to be in this beautiful place, for having my good health to do those strenuous hikes and rides, for having a family(who I miss more than anything) who supports me no matter where I choose to go or what I choose to do, and for friends who will be there to embrace me when I arrive home.  And finally, disappointed.  While the primary goal of my trip is to just enjoy and explore, the other part of my trip is to learn and immerse myself into good business.  Sedona is all about natural beauty, taking care of the earth, and being kind.  I fully expected to stumble upon dozens of companies and establishments that share the values of sustainability, ethics, and social responsibility.  What I found instead was a LACK of that. 

     I leave Sedona feeling very confused about this. On one hand it preaches high consciousness, but on the other, there are no actions that follow.  Many businesses in town talk the talk, but a closer look at operations tells a different story.  My favorite are the businesses that sell a “green” product, but are not green themselves.  Obviously this does not apply to all businesses in Sedona.  ChocolaTree, which I will discuss in a moment, happens to be very conscious of their impact and have practices in place that reflect it.  It is because of this “face” that companies put on, that I am even more interested in learning about certified Benefit Corporations.  Before this trip, a professor and some old classmates of mine planted the seed of curiosity by introducing me to the concept of these corporations.  Unfortunately, I left for my trip before learning much more than the basics of it.  So in my free time, whilst drinking some of the best damn Mayan hot-cocoa I have ever had, I did some research.  B-Corps, “use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems”.  They remove the uncertainty of false claims by holding all businesses that are certified, to high sustainability and ethical standards.  Some of the business standards measured are transparency, social and environmental performance and accountability.  Want proof that the companies you interact with are actually making that positive impact and those responsible choices? Look for the B Certified label!  There are so many companies in the world that are currently certified, and so many more that could be.  Without even knowing it, I am sure I have shopped or interacted with some of these companies.  I just wish I had known to look for the certification.  After reading about quite a few of them, I learned that although they all meet the minimum standards, each is unique in their practices.  Whether one company has a higher focus on the environment and another has prioritized community outreach, there is something new to learn from each of them. 

     Despite the fun I have had here in Arizona, I am even more excited to move on because Colorado is FULL of B Corps. So is California and Oregon!  I am hoping to meet with a handful of them in each of the states I visit from here on out.  Unfortunately, my travel timeline and the busy schedules of the people who work for these companies, makes it very difficult to schedule these visits/interviews.  But why let that keep me from my mission?  If I can meet with a few, great! But if it doesn’t work out, I can still use my power as a consumer and conscious citizen.  Not only can I support these B-Corps by giving them business, but I can also learn about them indirectly by opening my eyes and ears during each experience.  And of course by asking questions.  A good friend of mine recently blogged about one of life’s best lessons, “don’t be afraid to ask questions”.  I couldn’t agree with her more that all too often, we fail to do so.  Well, if there is one thing I have learned about traveling alone, it is that asking questions is what highlighted my experiences tenfold.  Had I not taken chances to speak to people I wouldn’t normally interact with, I wouldn’t have made such amazing new friends, or visited places I didn’t know existed.  Strangers are not so strange or scary after all.  Of course I trust my instincts, but by removing judgments and expectations, I have had the most beautiful moments and learned so much from these people.  Questions are a thing of beauty.  You never know what you could be missing out on, unless you ask! 

     One place I found myself chatting up a storm was ChocolaTree, a small organic eatery that serves vegetarian and vegan food. Ninety-five percent of the menu is seasonal and local, as ChocolaTree is very conscious of transportation fuel, packaging, etc.  The five percent that is not local/seasonal, is out of absolute necessity.  When sourcing the non-local ingredients such as cacao for the chocolate made in their on-site chocolate factory, they work directly with the small farms that produce it.  Also, in an effort to support the communities of these small farms, they partake in sustainability programs for their direct benefit.   Along with their unbelievable selection of chocolate, they serve a variety of drinks, entrees, and desserts.  Each is made fresh with love and leaves you feeling incredible, as if the vibes here didn’t do enough of that.  Everything in the establishment is 100 percent recyclable and 80 percent post-consumer recycled.  When I say everything, I mean everything; toilet paper, to-go containers, the menu, business cards, napkins, labels, chocolate bags, etc.  To further minimize their impact, all of their cleaning products are natural and they use digital newsletters as often as possible over printed promotions.  And as if their chocolate case was not enough to look at, there is also a small marketplace lining the hallway out to the garden.  This market includes goods handcrafted from indigenous tribes that they work with directly, ethically harvested crystals, ecologically and sustainably sourced jewelry, and clothing made from sustainable, U.S.A. made fabrics by “Fed By Threads”.  The purchase of one Fed by Threads shirt, supplies 12 meals to hungry Americans.  Awesome, right?!  Well it gets better.  After the walk through the market and a very failed attempt at shopping resistance, a beautiful garden awaits, equipped with tables for eating and hammocks for soaking in the good energy.  It is not only a beautiful place to look at, but this garden also serves as ChocolaTree’s small food forest(supplying everything from fruits to nuts based on the season).  And in this beautiful oasis, they offer free garden forums to teach others about how to plant their own.  Perhaps that is what I love most about this place.  Not only do they create an unbelievable example of good business, but they want to teach others how to do it too!  They provide all of their recipes to the public, they teach the community how to garden, and the owners had absolutely no problem discussing with me their business model, among many other things that have made them so successful in Sedona.  ChocolaTree served as my hot spot during my stay here.  When friends came to visit, when I made a new friend, or when I simply wanted to nourish my body with healthy, vibrant food, this is where I came.  And amongst all of the eating and socializing with familiar faces, I have met some incredible strangers here as well!

Here are some of the beautiful moments I have encountered in Sedona.  I will be forever grateful for what this place has shown me….Izzy and I on top of Bell Rock.  I started each of my mornings in Sedona, right there, reading.

The back of Boyton Canyon in West Sedona.  Stunning 6 mile hike.

The top of Cathedral Rock with my dear friends Izzy and Shaun, and two very kind reiki practitioners we met from Taiwan!

     I sit here in ChocolaTree writing this, as I prepare to leave tomorrow morning.  Telluride, Colorado will be the next stop in my journey. With absolutely no expectations of what lies ahead of me, I leave with an open mind, open heart, and desire to soak up every bit of knowledge I can.  

“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get”- well, Forrest Gump, I couldn’t think of anything more exciting! : )

Back to the open road I go!

When life gives you wind…

     Now that I have catapulted into my daydreams, and have finally settled in Sedona, I have taken every moment as an opportunity for exploration.  Each day it seems has been packed with hiking, biking, and yoga.  What more could a girl want?!  

Here is one of my views from the Cathedral Rock climb…

 

And this is Red Rock Crossing…

 

     Sedona holds a very special place in my heart, which is why I chose it as my starting point and my longest stay.  But this visit is unique to any other time I have been here.  I am IN Sedona, apart of it;  Close to nature and immersing myself into it’s community.  There are no tours, no pricey dinners, no shopping and NO DRIVING. The way I see it, why would I even consider getting into my car, when I am perfectly capable of walking or riding my bike to where I want to go? The environmental impact of my car, is incomparable to the impact of my bike.  That being said, I have set aside one day a week to utilize my car.  On this day, I will hike somewhere down an unpaved road(I cannot reach these places on my road bike, as it would destroy my tires), stock up on fresh produce for the week, and see some live entertainment in town.  I should preface this with the fact that I live anywhere between 10-20 miles from downtown, hike trailheads, the yoga studio and most other businesses in Sedona.  Only a few hikes sit under the 10 mile mark from my apartment.  Regardless, everyday I take at least one yoga class and hike at least one trail.  It is a 20 mile round trip for yoga, 5 miles walking on the trail, and at least another 10 miles for whatever else I do that day.  In total, I ride and hike an average of 35 miles a day, 6 days a week.  This means 210 miles of clean travel every week.  WHAT IF WE ALL DID THIS?!  Think about it.  How many of you could easily ride to school or work? Even if you are only doing 3 miles a day, those numbers add up very quickly.  It is such a simple and HEALTHY way to reduce your carbon footprint.  I am not suggesting we all get rid of our cars, but  thinking about the impact of our actions could make a load of difference in the world and maybe change the way we go about our daily routines.

        Riding my bike everywhere has also given me new perspective on how we see what is around us.  In my car, the views are beautiful and my eyes wander around the scenery, but I am still focused on my destination, my air conditioning, my blaring music.  Conversely, when I am on my bike I discover new things, I see brighter colors, I am feeling everything around me, and I am challenging myself both physically and mentally.  Pushing up a huge hill is one thing I love to do on my road bike.  It is challenging and so rewarding when I reach the top.  But there are definitely days when I find myself struggling to get home.  Primarily days when the wind rages in the opposite direction I am riding.  Head winds are my worst enemy and I find myself cursing out mother nature as I keep peddling.  A few days ago, there were 20 mph gusts coming at me on my way back from yoga, and it hit me… I am wasting so much energy getting angry at the wind, something I have no power to change.  Life throws us crap like head winds all the time.  Perhaps for you it comes in the form of a boss who is never satisfied, a relapse from your recovery, or something as simple as a rude person ruining your perfect mood.  But whatever your “head winds” look like, life put them there for a reason.  I have become grateful for the head winds, because every time I push through them, I am reminded that I have two legs and a heart that will be stronger in the morning -something that not everyone in this world has. With our challenges, whatever they may be, comes awakening and strength –if we choose.  I have watched my closest friends and family endure the worst of life’s challenges, but each of them has emerged stronger and with a greater thirst for life.  With the choice to have gratitude for what was in front of them and taking difficulty as a chance to grow, I have seen the greatest beauty come from their situations.  My point is that we have a choice. I can choose to let the wind or another imperfect moment ruin my day, or I can utilize that energy for something positive.  Of course there will be bad days, but there is always tomorrow to change your perspective.  While sitting at the top of Bell Rock today, I read a quote that made me think of this…

“If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author, and every day you have the opportunity to write a new page” –Mark Houlahan 

And here is the top of Bell Rock : )

 

      On this gorgeous afternoon, I am sitting outside of my Sedona apartment, looking straight ahead at the beautiful red rock mountain I just spent the morning climbing.  As I hear about college graduations this past week, I cannot help but think of the many paths I could have chosen for this moment.  There is a part of me that yearns for a steady income, working and volunteering in Philadelphia, living near or with my best friend, and spending my weekends finding new places to eat.  But while that part of me appears, as I fill with pride for Liz and her new job in the city, I snap back to this moment that I chose and feel comfort in knowing that I will have that, someday.  For years I craved adventure, exploring nature and answers for my curiosities. Well, I have created that reality for myself; I am living that daydream now. So after my adventures and my months of learning from some great business leaders, I have faith that I can create whatever situation I want for my life, regardless of where my feet happen to be standing.  And that moment, the moments that came before it, and the moments that follow, will be perfect, head winds and all. 

Forward Now, With Intention

Leaving your home for an extended period of time, completely on your own, is a very scary thing. Granted my trip is only 3-4 months, but it will be the first 3-4 months that I have ever been away from my family and friends for more than 2 weeks.  Even as a college student, I saw home quite a bit.  I loudly applaud all of my friends who have had the courage to plant roots elsewhere, away from everything familiar… I left the familiar exactly two weeks ago, today.  So far so good.

3 days of driving west on route 40 landed me near Taos, New Mexico, the first stop in my travels.  Taos was absolutely beautiful; the landscape, the art, the people, everything.  And I could not have picked a better starting point for my plunge into sustainable business and communities.  Taos is packed with unique local businesses.  In the short few days I was there, I got to experience the best of them…

Upon arrival I checked in at The Adobe and Pines Bed and Breakfast. It was perfectly tucked away from the tourist crowded downtown.  Though I must also consider myself a tourist, the choices I make concerning where to spend my money will be a bit different from your typical traveler.  First of all, my budget is incredibly tight; which is something I actually do not mind.  It would do the world some good if we could all learn to live a bit more simply, myself included. Also, how can I expect businesses to be mindful in their choices if I am not mindful in mine?  Therefore, my dollars and cents will be in support of sustainable, ethical, socially beneficial businesses, ONLY.  I am not quite sure what took me so long in making that commitment, but it’s better late than never. I plan to make this choice a permanent one.  Sure, it takes some research and maybe a few more miles on my bike, but I am finding it to be much easier than I thought.  And what better way to promote “better business” than to refuse anything but!

The first local business I got to experience was right outside my bedroom door, The Adobe and Pines.  Renee and Phillip, the owners, were the most warm and welcoming people I could have hoped to meet.  Each morning they prepared a fresh, healthy breakfast for all occupants.  If eggs were on the menu, they were farm fresh, from the chickens living outside.  The entire property, chickens and all, was just wonderful; countless places to sit and soak in the mountain air, a hammock, a labyrinth for meditation, wood-burning fireplaces in nearly every room, and two friendly dogs who called this place home(lucky dogs!).  Needless to say, I would have gladly stayed much longer.  They make it hard for you to leave.

On my second day in Taos, after some incredible homemade pumpkin oatmeal, I headed up the road on my bike for a solid 10 mile climb.  Probably not the wisest choice of roads, being the first day on my bike in a week, and still getting used to the elevation.  Regardless, it was worth the shortness of breath, and the 10 mile downhill that followed!  Here is my view from the top : )

I spent the bulk of the next day at a place called Ojo Caliente to hike and soak in the hot springs.  I took some “off the beaten path” directions from a local bike shop, which led me and my car through a series of thin, windy, dirt roads along the river at the bottom of the canyon.  Ojo Caliente Resort is in the middle of no where.  But trust me, if you are ever in New Mexico, it is worth a visit.  For a small fee, you have access to all of the grounds which include direct access to miles of hiking, several natural hot spring pools, the spa facilities and too many hammocks to choose from!  I spent the day relaxing in these wonderful hot springs, one of which required me to cover myself in mud, and napping in hammocks all over the property. “Lazy” cannot even begin to describe this day.  But amongst the laziness, I did manage to learn about the business and what they are doing in terms of sustainability.  Not only does Ojo Caliente use energy efficient building materials for all new construction, but they also have their own on-site wastewater treatment center and use geothermal energy from the hot springs to heat and cool all of their buildings.

Ojo Caliente is not the only place in town with a focus on sustainable energy though.  There are dozens upon dozens of other companies which I unfortunately did not have the time to visit.  Luckily, I picked up 3 different “green focused” publications so that I could read all about them.   And there is certainly no hesitation to take advantage of the sun.  Every other building I passed was covered with solar panels.  But what I found the most interesting about Taos was the educational institutions. The Municipal School District in Taos, primarily the high school, incorporates sustainability into their classrooms, like SJU incorporates ethics into its curriculum.  Here are some of the things they have done(just to name a few): A solar energy bank, greenhouses and green energy class offerings.  Here is a quote I found from the Taos Green Chamber of Commerce publication that describes their mindset perfectly, “We don’t just teach sustainability, we help young adults see the connections between sustainability issues, economics, government, social justice, science, technology, culture and society”.  Imagine if all schools managed their curriculum this way… And to top it off, The University of New Mexico Taos has a 3.5 acre solar generating plant which provides power for 100 percent of the campus energy needs.  Awesome!

After Ojo Caliente, I traveled back into town to enjoy my last evening in Taos.  My research and empty stomach landed me at a small farm to table establishment called The Love Apple.  I walked through the doors of this old chapel-turned-restaurant, was escorted through the kitchen into the dining room, and sat down for the best meal I have had since my trip began.  They had me as soon as they walked me through the kitchen. The menu is created based on seasonal and local availability and I happened to arrive on the day they changed their menu for the new season.  What a treat!  This place instantly reminded me of a great restaurant in Philadelphia called Fare; all organic, local, & sustainable.  My best friend, Liz, took me there for my birthday and it was wonderful.  Anyway, I started with a fantastic glass of Syrah, followed by a few starters and ending with… Antelope?!  Yes, you read that right.  I do not eat red meat, primarily for health reasons, but also because of the awful treatment many of these animals are subject to.  Even white meat I try to stay from.  But on rare occasion when I am confident of where my food is sourced from, I will indulge. This was one of those occasions and OH, MY, GOSH. It was out of this world.  These next few months are all about trying new things right? Well this was the first, and oh so worth it.

My starters.  Yum!

Before I indulged in my meal though, the owner Jennifer, was kind enough to chat with me about her business.  Her passion is in serving her local community. She wanted to create a restaurant that supplied affordable, local, delicious food to the residents of Taos.  Because Taos is a big tourist attraction, most of the businesses here target “out-of-towners” as their primary customers.  The Love Apple aims at just the opposite.  When they say local, they are not just referring to their menu.  But despite the fact that I am not a resident, I was still treated with the same amount of kindness and hospitality as everyone else in the room.  Jennifer went on to tell me that although it takes more time and effort, she enjoys buying from dozens of different vendors to ensure the quality and fair treatment of her ingredients.  And after her business is done serving their community, they give back further by saving all food scraps for the local chickens, aiming to pay employees a living wage, and recycling materials themselves because the local government is lacking in a good recycling program.  The word “waste” does not exist in this beautifully run business.  I could not have been more thrilled to support them by dining at one of their 13 tables that night.  Included in their philosophy on their website is a statement that I believe can and should reflect the way we do business in our world, “It’s challenging and fun to work within parameters of integrity.  It supports the environment that we all call home and want to care for.  It supports our local economy and community by helping our friends and family and neighbors and customers stay in business and be able to have a life here”.

Taos, it was truly a pleasure.  And though your recycling program could use some improvement, I have confidence that the well educated people and mindful business owners of this area, will soon create powerful change.

Off to Sedona!

What’s Next?

For the past several years I have been asked by others and asking myself, “what do you want to do?”, “what’s next?”.  Whether it concerned what I wanted to major in, what internship to take, or what to do after graduation.  Well, it took me nearly three years of college to pin down a major, and two semesters before graduation to really grasp onto my area of interest(which by the way, happens to be something I did not major in).  Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing I regret doing in my 5 years(wow!) of undergrad. Had I not chosen art school in Philadelphia, I would have never transferred to SJU. Had I not majored in finance, I wouldn’t have realized how greatly bothered I was with bad ethics in business, which would not have led me to switch my major to Management.  And if I did not have to choose MHC(Managing Human Capital) electives, I would not have taken Dr. Steingard’s Business, Stakeholders and Ethics course; which hit me like a ton of bricks.  Stakeholder Theory and Social Responsibility set the tone for the rest of my education at Saint Joseph’s University(which was unfortunately only a semester and a half).  But regardless of the short time I had left at SJU, that course and the people I met during my last year there, will have changed me forever….

But that still leaves my last question unanswered.  I know what I am interested in and I know what I am passionate about, but what do I do with it?  WHAT’S NEXT?! I have answered this question in many variations, but none of them actually solid or completely honest.  Lets try some honesty… I have NO idea.  I really don’t.  There is an endless list of areas I could focus my career on, but how do you pick? Sustainability and social responsibility is so far from specific.  Do I want to consult businesses on how to reduce their carbon footprint and increase their community outreach? YES.  Do I want to put programs in place that help reduce food waste, while simultaneously helping the homeless population?  YES.  Do I want to focus on promoting sustainable transportation by creating bike-friendly venues? TOTALLY.  I could really keep going with this, but I think you get the point.  I feel passionate about all of the above, and then some.  So what do I do with that?

Well, a few months ago I became addicted to this subscription called “The Daily GOOD”.  I get a message in my Gmail inbox every day that describes something totally awesome going on in our world, in our communities today, that puts sustainability and/or social impact into action. Basically, it is a community of professional do-gooders(for lack of a better term), sharing their impact and their ideas.  I am also a member of the Philadelphia Net Impact Professional Chapter, which gives me access to even more “GOOD” information.  Well, its pretty cool to have access to all of this info and inspiration, but after nearly a year of reading cool articles, I want to be up close and personal with these people, these projects.  So this is where my “next step” comes in…

I may not know where my passions will lead me, but I do know that I want to get in on the action, or at least learn about it first hand.  That being said, I have embarked on the most epic and awesome journey of my life. Over the next 3-4 months, I will be traveling the opposite side of the country in search of tall mountains to climb, beautiful winding roads to bike up, and local businesses that harness their power for good and make sustainability a priority.  I want to experience any and everything I can(adventurous, spontaneous, scary and otherwise). And I want to see and experience the impact of businesses, in every place I plant my feet this summer.

So after quite a bit of back-story and explanation, this personal blog is intended for those who wish to keep up with my adventures and maybe gain some insight about the communities and businesses I speak to and learn about in my travels.  Enjoy!