This summer, I have too many thank yous.
I want to write a whole novel of gratitude to Kristen, who welcomed me with a Duke notebook and an infectious smile. She’s understanding and personable, energetic and caring. Thank you for answering all of my questions, no matter how big (“how do I share my life map?”), small (“what’s in Swiss chard?”), or utterly obvious (“where are the keys to the van?”). You’ve shaped such a positive experience for me this summer, and I am so grateful to have worked with you.
Lizzie, Danny, and Claire – it seems only appropriate my thanks would come as an email, though it would be infinitely longer than my Monday updates. You guys are the dream team, the reason each meal on the farm goes off without a hitch. Lizzie, thank you for sharing your nutrition knowledge; Danny, thank you for making us all better cooks; and Claire, thank you for your unending patience and positivity. I’m so lucky to have worked with and learned from such talented, generous people.
To Anthony, Christian, and the SYGW program assistants (or “special ops”) – thank you for showing me the ropes on the farm and at the market. I marvel at each of your work ethics. Whether your teaching a workshop, planting a new bed, setting up the kitchen, or running the farmer’s market, you show such dedication to your work, and it inspires energy in me and in everyone on the farm. Y’all would get small, simple cards durable enough to be tucked into back pockets and retrieved after a full day of work.
David, Leezel, and Emily deserve a litany of post-it-note thank yous for supporting me through the summer’s few, but dramatic, lows. Most recently, thank you all for helping me in my concussed state – for making sure I got to the doctor and ensuring I prioritized my health.
I’ve already given early thank yous, in the form of affirmations, to the fifteen other Duke students, but they deserve to be expanded upon. Thank you for your friendship, advice, and company these past six plus weeks. From fireworks at Gas Works and trips to Molly Moons, to adventuring in Pike’s Place and hiking Mt. Si, I’m lucky to have shared this summer with all of you.
In the interest of brevity (the authors enemy – “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter” has always struck me as an essential truth), many thanks must go unarticulated here. Seattle has been a phenomenal, challenging experience, and I owe so much to those I’ve met, worked, and lived with here. To all those named and not –
Thank you.