FLXHobbit

For those who don’t know, the Finger Lakes (FLX) consist of eleven finger-shaped-glacial-cut lakes in the Central and Western regions of New York State. It is a 9,000 square mile section of New York State right near the Pennsylvania border, where Appalachia meets Wine Country… and believe me when I say that this Wine Country is beautiful! The Finger Lakes is the region we call “Upstate New York”, and consists of farmland and forests, hubs of innovation, hard working people, deep blue-green waters, and lush rolling hills dotted by vineyards. Of course you may have heard people in New York City refer to Upstate as “Poughkeepsie”, but they need to drive a little further North and a little further West to get here.

I have lived in various corners of the world, but this is the place that I love to call home, and the place I continue to come back to after each great adventure. Thanks to my family, education, and career, I have had the luxury of adventures both big and small. Some adventures are quaint, like growing a vegetable and herb garden in my backyard, making homemade Kombucha for friends and family, or looking for wild native plants during hikes on the Finger Lakes Trails. Some adventures are big, like working in Museums in Australia, walking across the Great Wall of China, or staying in hostels on the side streets of Edinburgh in Scotland. I recognize that I have been lucky in life, but I have worked hard for each opportunity and cherish every memory. Additionally, these small and big adventures were made possible by the convenience of the low cost of living, great community support, and central location of this idyllic corner of Western and Central New York State. Throughout the years, I have found that I have “a love of all things that grow”, an appreciation for stories and culture, an appetite for food and drink, and a taste for adventure. This area allows me to take advantage of all the things that I love, and get to live what I call a “Hobbit’s Life” in the Finger Lakes of New York State!

Up next, a blog post on the best ways I have found to brew home made Kombucha; a tasty fermented treat… perfect for Hobbits… but made for anyone who loves a bubbly and tart summer drink, filled with probiotics!