June 2022

I know the title of this has caught you off guard but hang with me, I'm going to tell you about the adventure that I had in Ecuador. To start this story off I need to tell you about the amazing program called the Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership (MARL) Program. The intensive 2-year program, that brings together people from all around the state of Minnesota with a common passion for agriculture and rural living. The other members of my cohort consisted of farmers, local government, universities, private sector, and public sector. You become very close with the members of your cohort as you complete in-state seminars, a national seminar in DC and a study abroad seminar which took us to Ecuador.

On the day of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, I arrived early at my children’s elementary school for a winter concert. I was so early, in fact, that I was the only person sitting in the gym for several minutes before anyone else arrived. I remember looking around at the empty seats and praying through tears for the families whose tables would forever have empty seats in the wake of such incomprehensible violence.

I for one am heavily influenced by film. Lately, I have been gravitating towards film from around the early 90s. I think there is something to be said about films from previous decades. Specifically, the romance/rom-com genre. For me, it's everything from the writing, the set design, costume design, and the artistic decisions that were made.