The Ginger One: THE END OF THIS ADVENTURE IS DRAWING NEAR AND...FOOD CYCLE!

Fruits/fruit salad.

Super sweet Zoe, kitchen leader extraordinaire!

So, we are coming to the end of our time in Cambridge. I had some big plans for how I was going to spend my time when I was here, and some of them I very much accomplished and some not at all. I was hoping to get involved in local theater, only to find out that in this University town, most productions are cast the semester before and it isn't easy/open to audition for anything. I had hoped to substitute teach (I did have a work visa after all), but the agencies I contacted told me that there was a minimum of six weeks to wait for a new teacher's security clearance to go through. And honestly, it is pretty hard to find anyone willing to hire and train you to work part time for three months. But, I did make jewelry, join a really nice local gym and go most days of the week, meditate often in the sauna at said gym, explore this city by bike and foot, frequent many markets and learn about local food here, and cook almost every single day! Oh, and I also checked one more thing off of my list of what I wanted to do in Cambridge: volunteer at a really cool organization. I found a place called Food Cycle through the local Gum Tree (like Craigslist) and it was totally up my alley. Their mission is totally kick ass: "Welcome to FoodCycle, we combine volunteers, surplus food and a free kitchen space to create nutritious meals for people affected by food poverty in the UK and positive social change in the community." I couldn't believe my good fortune when I arrived early that first Saturday morning, geared up to cook food (barely bruised fruits, just expired bread, slightly limp vegetables) that was destined for a landfill-- creating a delicious 4 course meal (that I was allowed to have some creative say in!). The little commercial kitchen space at a local church was awesome, the other cooks were awesome, the food turned out awesome, and the patrons were-- yep, you guessed it-- awesome! The best part was sitting down to eat with the folks that came for the meal and getting to chat with people from all walks of life in my new community. I cannot say enough good things about this organization and the people running it. Such a wonderful experience that I will certainly remember! I am definitely going to see what Berkeley has to offer like this when I get home! xo.