Wendy Geise

I purchased a Jack LaLanne juicer along with the best books I could find to provide a wide selection of both fruit and vegetable juices. My grocery bill has increased, because the quantity of organic ingredients used increases. This has increased the desire to grow my own.

According to the US Census, the nationwide percentage of people who have Masters degrees is 9.4%. The percentage drops to less than 1% for PhD’s.

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/001712.html

I believe the global percentage for Masters degrees is around 4%. This is what one of our professors told us last year. I had researched the number online at the time to confirm, but can’t seem to find it right now.

For me this means making the world a better place. We can take personal steps toward this every day through our individual actions. One person can make a difference!

I took the Introduction to Shamanic Healing and Advanced Shapeshifting Certification program with John Perkins and Llyn Roberts at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck NY. There was a large group of about 100 people in the program. For more information on these programs see www.dreamchange.org.

In a world that is becoming more and more urbanized we have a lot to learn from indigenous people who still have a very strong connection to the land and nature. I am very interested in medicinal and healing qualities of plants – one of the specialties of the shamans. I want to help indigenous communities preserve their cultures.

I just need to get together with an architecht and get something down on paper. I’m very interested in green building and ecological design. Natural Home and Garden magazine is a great source for ideas.

Volunteering for conservation projects around the world is a great way to travel and do something good for the benefit of nature. One of the reasons I named my blog Naturally Connected, is because of my experience working in the recruiting industry for the past 15 years. It is a way I can leverage these skills to help people connect more with the environment.

A couple of good sites you should know about for volunteer opportunities abroad are: Earthwatch, Volunteer Abroad, i-to-i, Earth Restoration Service, Biosphere – Expeditions.

Sustainable Table has I Care Calling Cards you can preprint to tell store owners and managers that you care about where the food you buy comes from.

Ecoplan.org has a number of good calculators beyond just the ecological footprint site, to start measuring the impact you are making. They also provide links to sites where you can start purchase carbon offsets. This is especially good for people who do a lot of air travel.

I think sometimes when people hear living off the grid they envision that it has to mean living out in the middle of nowhere really roughing it. I just want to be self-sustainable and show others how they can do it too.

Living at the Findhorn Ecovillage in Scotland for a month in 2003 was a great kick start on living more simply for me. This past year living in Costa Rica has also made a big difference. I have no TV or cell phone here and haven’t missed either one. I am also driving much less. I will probably get rid of a lot of “stuff” in storage when I return to CA. It is just an extra burden.

I haven’t decided which yet!

I’ve been doing it regularly for three years now, and irregularly for another five before that. It’s my favorite activity for mind, body and spirit!

I definitely want to have more space than my small backyard in Northern CA where I can grow my own organic fruits and vegies, practice permaculture techniques and build an ecologically sustainable home. If it is in the US, it will be located in Northern CA, OR or WA.

This is definitely one of my higher priorities. I have had the general outline written down for about a year and a half. I want to spend dedicated time just to writing the book though, so I can really focus on it.

Growing up in the U.S. provides a certain perspective of the world. Living outside of the country enables you to better understand how others view America and how America impacts other cultures. If you can’t get out of the country for more than just a vacation, I highly recommend checking out Watching America to see how America is portrayed in the foreign press.