That Weird Intro Post That No One Likes Writing

Yup, that's what this is. My origin story. Have I met my character arc in my story? Well, I'll let you be the judge.

I often feel like some mystical being who creates art but the only real thing you know about me is that I love rainbows and have anxiety. Which kind of sums me up in some ways, but in others falls short of what I really am. So I'll take the obligatory intro post required of any new blog to tell you all about myself.

I was born the day a tornado struck my town. No, legit, I was. And I live in PA so that's pretty weird. Basically I came in with a bang, I know, I'm super humble. I grew up in a small town on my families Orchard and Greenhouses that was owned and operated by my second Cousin and my grandfather, respectively. It's been in our family for over 100 years. I can't remember the exact date, but it was a really fun piece of history that I never appreciated until I was older (that's always the case, right?). I grew up spending my summers on the Orchard and have the scars to prove it. Let's just say it was a fantastic place to ride a bike. I even worked there in high school and some during college.

I spent time in high school toying around with going to art school with most of my senior year enrolled in art class or using my study halls to either go there or the student council "office." When I sat down with my art teacher to discuss, because I was accepted to the Moore College of Art and Design, he told me that going to an art school would "ruin me." God knows what that meant because he never did tell me and this man was coocoo bananas, but I've come to appreciate his eccentricity as I've grown older because I realized that he normalized what would often be considered out of place in our small town. 

Instead of going off to art school, I took a mainstream path to major in Chemistry and Secondary Ed. Why wouldn't I want to teach high school students Chemistry for the rest of my life?! YAWN. It really stemmed from how much I love my Chem and AP Chem teachers in high school because they were so cool. And my fascination with science. I went off to school, took a bunch of science classes, learned some things, changed majors, twice, and hated it. I also hated being away from home...introvert much? I came home and went to a local state school and switched my major to nutrition. I always loved baking so that seemed logical to me at the time. 

What I didn't realize was just how much science played a role in nutrition and it was the perfect meld of the two things I loved most- food and science. LOL FOOD SCIENCE. My favorite class. Fast forward 6ish years? I took some extra time to finish up college. I passed my credentialing exam to become a Registered Dietitian and landed my first job. I bounced around the industry before finding my way to a pediatric hospital where I completely fell in love with what I do. Around the same time was when I started my small business, which at the time was called Orchard Wreaths, because, you know, I made wreaths. Oh, and did you pick up on the origin story of my business name? Makes sense now I hope. 

I found myself taking on a role working with the medical ketogenic diet to manage patients with Epilepsy. This is different from the trendy keto diet for weight loss, but don't worry, I don't get offended if the two get confused, although my patients probably would. Anyhow, I found my love of science and nutrition perfectly combined working in this role. I could heal someone, alter their brain chemistry and metabolism, and stop seizures WITH FOOD. Tell me that's not one of the coolest things you've ever heard?

And that's what I've been doing for 6 years outside of this mystical platform. Since then, I got married, had two incredible boys who are now 5 "and a half" and 2, and started my Master's of Science degree in Community Nutrition. I've battled with anxiety since I had my youngest and have finally taken control of it. So much so that I write freely about my journey and am happy to talk to whomever might need an ear. It might not seem like much, but it's enough for me.

What happens next? I mean, I picked out my PhD program? So maybe that. Maybe decorating the house we bought two years ago that still feels super sterile with all it's white walls. Always more weaving. But in truth, its time to start tackling my bucket list. There's a lot of cool things on there that this homebody needs to get out and do before its too late. I'll save what exactly in on that list for another day. I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit more about me and happy shopping!