Last Friday, November 14th, I turned 24 years old.  It’s hard to believe that another year has passed, another number tacked on to my age.  This year my mom came out to visit from LA, and to celebrate we went out with a small group of friends–Mike, Adria, their daughter Siena, Michele, Nora, Marie-Laure and Mark–to an all vegetarian restaurant called the Garden Grille.  The food and company were great, and though the festivities were far less ostentatious than last year, the occasion was nonetheless enjoyable.  My mom only stayed from Thursday night to Sunday morning, and the time went by fast.  Unlike last year (when the temperature was in the 30s) it was surprisingly warm, although rain and fog limited the amount of time we spent outside.  More photos after the fold.

So how do I feel now that I am 24?  Well, I am now a writer for Treehugger.com, as well as for PlanetGreen and Huffington Post.  In addition, I am starting an Environmental Consulting company; starting a Providence-based microfinance program; doing a masters thesis; and riding my bike as often as possible.  Some of these initiatives are going better than others, but the point is that in the last year I have gone from being predominantly a student (I was taking 3 classes) to being a social entrepreneur (I now only have one class, and I am only taking it to work on the business plan for the microfinance project).  Life is definitely leading me in new and exciting directions, and thought I often struggle, I feel that with each passing week I am better equipped for meeting the challenges that confront me on the way.