My name is Colin Cederna and I am a Sophomore at Vassar College. I am from Saline, Michigan, a small farming town south of Ann Arbor (home of the University of Michigan). I am an environmental studies major with a political science correlate. I am interested in environmental lobbying, forest ecology, and energy. I strive to reshape the current self-destructing behaviors and decisions of our constantly growing society. A lofty task, but I am willing to take it on full throttle.

Cruising through a lush valley in the some-what rural New York county of Dutchess, our Vassar van screeched to a halt. A voice in the back questions, “Is this it?” saying exactly what everyone else was thinking, but were too afraid to ask. The farmer’s market of Amenia, New York was extremely small, so small that our class size of 10 almost outnumbered all of the vendors at the market. Despite it’s shocking size, the quality of the vendors was topnotch. I met a women who grew an assortment of mushrooms in a patch of woodland behind her home. In the past, I had heard of mushrooms being grown in climate controlled cases as well as on cow dung (how they grow naturally), but I had never heard of farming mushrooms on logs in the forest.

I then continued on my journey to the end of the block where a flash of blue caught my eye. Looking to my left a vibrant blue house stood proudly at the edge of the street. Remnants of a time when builders built unique homes, distinct from one another. It was a glimpse into the past, when things weren’t so complicated and a family could be happy living out their life in a beautiful blue home. A time when they would be content with not going to Vail or San Diego for Christmas, but rather sticking out the long winter of the Hudson Valley. The home was visually stunning and helped contribute to the overall great vibe of the town.

Turning back towards the vendors I spotted one of my favorite things, baked goods. Instinctually I plodded towards the fresh aroma of muffins and scones. The perfection of the desserts held my gaze until finally the baker questioned, “Do you need any help?”. Snapping out of my day dream I quickly apologized because truthfully, I didn’t even have a dollar. Sadly, I left the beautiful food for another hungry wanderer and went on my merry way.