After graduating in December of 2007 I decided that I needed to spend some time learning to live more simply and more conscientiously. So I, a good little agnostic, picked up and moved to St. Mary of the Woods, Indiana, to live with the Sisters of Providence for a year and volunteer my time to them. After taking some time traveling around Europe with my backpack in the summer, I was exposed to how things are done in countries with far more progressive attitudes than my home country who are acting to help ease us all away from more of an environmental crises than we are hurtling to now.

Now I play with alpacas every day and am learning first hand how we can make improvements in our agricultural systems and energy systems. The Sisters of Providence are committed to trying to do their part despite losing money and hitting a lot of bumps in the road...often from the government.

They're really cool ladies and feminists like you have never seen. If you're ever coming through Terre Haute, take a stop by St. Mary of the Woods. The grounds are beautiful and they love to show them off.