One day in the middle of the month I went, "Huh, I haven't eaten meat in a week." And so, I got a little more dedicated to fully switching to vegetarian since I hadn't even noticed. It's been SO MUCH easier than I had anticipated. I don't have any specific recipes to share - but "Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes" have become a staple meal for me.
Baked Sweet Potato (microwave if short on time, oven if I think ahead enough)
Stuffed with a mixture of olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, feta cheese, oregano, salt, and pepper. SO YUM.
And, not my kitchen, but I was having a major falafel craving and found a quite yummy falafel sandwich at Reading Terminal Market in Philly. I may or may not have eaten that for three days straight since it was across the street from where I was for those days . . . . Craving: Satisfied. I've been pinning falafel recipes, but haven't tried any yet. Hopefully next month!
Reading:
I have started a pinterest board to keep up with my 2013 reading. The most interesting this month has definitely been Open Veins in Latin America by Eduardo Galeano. It's a few decades old, but it's very eye opening about global politics and economies.
Watching:
When I load my Hulu Queue I usually choose "Switched at Birth" first.
I've been surprised by how much I enjoy the sitcom "Go On" - I'm not usually one who likes comedies - but it's a nice little show.
One Word Update:
Enough has never been far from my mind - but I haven't done anything spectacular with processing it this month. It's just kind of a constant theme. I have noticed that I've been adding "for today" on to the end. "A vegetarian diet is enough for today." "The work you are doing is enough for today." "This much progress is enough for today." It's a reminder of daily steps, perseverance, building blocks to a bigger picture. A reminder that rest is good, that our bodies are designed to stop and sleep and nourish themselves. That our minds and mental health are designed for community and silence. I wouldn't say that I've ever been one to really struggle with self-care in any great way, I've never been the over-achiever who forgoes sleep, food, and other humans in the name of getting ahead. I think if I had through through the word "Enough" more I wouldn't have chosen it because I would've said, "Nah, I"m ok with that" - but I'm glad I chose the word - it's been a focusing word for me in many ways.
Highlights of the Month:
The end of the month was The Justice Conference. The overarching theme seemed to be "perseverance." The reminder that this is a long-haul venture. Change is slow, the work is hard. This was reiterated to me as I was able to spend a couple days with my urban policy class visiting some dis-invested neighborhoods and talking with people who have been working for change in those areas for decades. They have accomplished so much, and there is still so much to do. I was struck by how the overwhelming majority of the people working in the neighborhoods I visited were women, and I kind of wanted to shout, "Eshet Chayil!" at all of them.
Here's a video that I really love from the conference:
Is Justice Worth It? feat. Micah Bournes from World Relief on Vimeo.
Looking forward to March:
February was super busy for a variety of reasons. March is a down month in terms of needing to be in specific places at specific times, but it will be full of reading and writing and catching up on everything that got pushed to "not an immediate need" in February.
And, March is birthday month! Turning 30 this year. It's weirder than I thought it would be - mostly because (especially as a grad student) I keep seeing/hearing about things that I've aged out of. Oh well! I'm happy with my life path - being too old for certain internships just makes the dizzying array of choices smaller. :)
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