Late May would be amazing!  I finish school around May 13th so I have the rest of the month free.   

Sheryl--

I can't remember if I sent you a PM or not.. anyway, I'm actually in New York but would love an "excuse" to visit Australia     soo.. keep me posted on Raw Food Festivals and I will try my best to make it to one!

 

I am a resident of New York state and wanted to know if there is anyone else on here also from the state.  Let me know!   

Lake Erie is kind of beautiful.. only because it is a natural lake.. but unfortunately people did not realize its importance soon enough.  There is a lot of trash dumping on the beach and until recently the phosphorous was a problem.  I am frightened to swim in it, as well. 

I really want to visit Australia!  It sounds amazing.  Inky sounds cute.. and fiesty (sp?), hehe.  I love animals, it is amazing how much stress they can take away just by spending time with them.

Haha, I am so busy.. I have not done any school work yet this weekend and I probably will not until tomorrow as I have an environmental thing to go to.  We are making bird feeders out of pine cones with the little siblings visiting their college student siblings here on campus. 

It was upsetting to say goodbye to my Grandfather.. I was not ready to.. he was only 72, it was very sudden, and it has been bothering me a lot lately.  But.. one must be strong and make the best of things, which I am trying to do.

Anyway, keep me updated with Raw Food Festivals in Australia.  It would definitely be an experience I would love to save money for!

Much love,
Stephania

It is true.. the food in Western New York (in the US in general) is not awesome.. but I manage to get by.  The area in which I attend school is basically a big meat and unhealthy food kind of county.  Well, Buffalo, NY, is known for the Buffalo wing, so you could probably imagine the kind of food that is popular in this area.  There is one natural food store open 6 hours on Tuesday and the food costs two times that in a grocery store that offers a few all natural items.  Anyway, a bit about myself..

I live in Ithaca, New York, a great place for good music, good people, good food, and amazing scenery.  I love to bike (I have a road bike / touring bike) and plan to participate in "Bike and Build" ( http://www.bikeandbuild.org/ ) in the summer of 2007 (I have already sparked the interest of a few others).  I am a sophomore Biology major at a state school in New York, towards the very western end of the state (SUNY Fredonia:  http://www.fredonia.edu/) but I plan to transfer next semester.  At this university I am publicity chair for EAC (Environmental Action Committee:  this Saturday we are making paper with children), Vice President for Fredonia Voices for Animals (an AR group on campus), member of WSU (Women's Student Union, (an amazing group on campus in which men are also encourage to join and for which I am part of the committee planning another Take Back the Night in which victims or friends of victims of sexual abuse and rape share their stories), and I will be participating in the Black Student Union's fashion show in late April.  For this upcoming month of June I am interning at The Farm Sanctuary (http://www.farmsanctuary.org/), a rescue site for factory farmed animals who are given a second chance at life.  My AR group has plans to stay at the bed and breakfast in late April.  I traveled to Costa Rica last January for a university-hosted biology course and I wish to go back:  I am currently researching about the Banana Forest Project in Talamanca Valley, Costa Rica, and plan to host a Rainforest Relief member to present some information about the project at my university (http://www.rainforestrelief.org/). 
I have been vegetarian for 3 or 4 years, I lost count, and do my best to avoid dairy but it is in everything and sometimes it is difficult to look at the ingredients list especially when at a restaurant.  At first it was the illness that occurred from eating meat and dairy.. then I learned of animal abuse.  My guilted conscious is what kept me vegetarian and environmentally conscious.
About my family:  I have a wonderful mother and father and two younger sisters (age 18 and 13).  My companion animals include Malcolm (age 6, black labrador mix), Milo and Simba (Maine Coon Cats, age *almost* 1 and 3 or 4, respectively), Daisy (roughly age 6 or 7?  domestic short hair, black and white), Charlie (a beautiful 2 or 3 year old Desert King Snake), and a plethora of fish and chickens.  Unfortunately my grandfather passed away last semester, the week before finals, and I am still recovering as I am very close to my mother's parents since I never knew my father's.
I am currently wishing for warmer weather so I can ride my bike to Lake Erie beach before classes (before 8am and 9am), but the weather patterns here in NY are CRAZE-y.  Yesterday, for example, it was lightly snowing then the sun came out and it was warm and beautiful, everything melted.  By 7pm it was heavily snowing and windy.  *sigh*.. haha.
So, that's a little about me..  If I left anything out let me know 

Con mucho amor,
Stephania
 

I love how supportive you all are!  I am over here in New York, so unfortunately train travel would prove difficult.. but I do enjoy taking trains and seeing the scenery.  Although clouds are nice they just can't compare to the nature on the ground.  Okay, there is my corniness for the day, hehe. 

Anyway, I am definitely coming to Australia in the future for one of these awesome raw food festivals!

Take care everyone.

Love,
Stephania

Hey Piers,

I clicked the link and it said I was unauthorized to view the site.  I would love to attend these festivals!

Take care,
Stephania

Hola, I just joined raw-pleasure.com.au and I am blown away by all the free support out there for people transitioning to a raw food diet. 

If you had a raw food fest in Australia I would attend!

Anyway, just saying "hi" to all you beautiful raw foodists out there.