The past two weekends I have had the pleasure of camping with people very close to my heart- my significant other and my roommate/best friend. For both of these excursions, I only packed one outfit and my camping gear, but … Continue reading Why I Camp: Benefits of embodying the Dirtbag Lifestyle

  I am currently a college junior; vegan for 1.5 years and vegetarian for 2.5. Prior to university life, I was a chicken nugget loving gal scared of colorful food. Obviously a lot changed in my first year at college … Continue reading What I eat in a day: Easy VEGAN meals

When I was a young Amanda, I used to cry out for my mom when I felt a low blood sugar in the middle of the night. Many a time, my lows were extreme, as low as 30 mg / … Continue reading Low and Lonely

Arizona is the homiest place on earth. She has provided me the sight of stars and mountains and rock features and volcanoes; the smell of dry heat and cool wind; the feel of comfort and adventure; the taste of natural … Continue reading Solo in the Grand Canyon w/ T1D

I’m still rockin’ it with the American Conservation Experience in sunny SoCal. However, these past 2 months I have been camping out under the stars in the Mojave Desert neighboring Red Mountain. The desert is a beautiful place- clear skies, bright stars, … Continue reading Lessons from the Mojave Desert

After 15+ years after diagnosis with type 1 diabetes, I have learned that the mental effects from this disease can be more impactful than the physical effects. For the past 6 years I have experienced “diabetic burnout.” For those non-diabetics, … Continue reading Manifesting self love through self care

Date: Monday 5 March 2018 Location: Ridgecrest, California 5:45am- Wake-up, put on work clothes, check blood glucose level to calibrate dexcom, watch the sunrise outside my tent BG: 120; bolus for 75% of breakfast carbs 6:30am- Breakfast: oatmeal with banana, … Continue reading A day in the life: Conservation Corps

Each morning, we start our work day with safety circle and stretches. Safety circle tips tend to include: -stay hydrated -eat enough salts to avoid hyponeutremia -pace yourself -beware of your death bubble: stand far enough away from folks while … Continue reading Work Smarter not Harder

I am currently in sunny SoCal serving a 450 hour (~3 months) term with the American Conservation Experience  (ACE)- an Americorps conservation corps program based out of Arizona with site locations in CA, AZ, and NC. My work consists of 4-11 … Continue reading 7 Tips for camping in a group of non-diabetics