Farm Sanctuary; My Visit

It's been awhile since my last post. Partly because I've been pretty busy trying to organize a Vegucated screening. And partly because I was on vacation :)

For one week, my husband and I went off to New York, to the Farm Sanctuary. And let me tell you...

I am in love.

Seriously. I'm not even remotely a 'roughing it' or camping kind of girl. And while I wouldn't consider the cabins we stayed in 'roughing it,' I did have to walk to the showers and toilets in the middle of the night. There is no air conditioning (partly why I waited til October to go). But with all sincerity, barely even noticed.

I was just too content and at peace.

Every day had a different adventure. My personal favorite were the tours of the farm that we could go on each morning after breakfast. We went a few times, walking around with a staff member to meet all the wonderful beings that reside there.

It was heartwarming, to say the least, to be standing next to or feeding an animal that had once suffered terrible abuse, but was now willing and excited to have human contact. Sure, there were some that were still skiddish, and all you could do was to respect that they'd been through a lot, and progress has to be on their terms.

So, every chance I could, I was petting some cows and goats, feeding some turkeys, and walking around while piglets were nipping at the ends of my pants.

Of course, Watkins Glen had other stuff to do.. so we went on some hiking trails, found some restaurants with great vegan options (something that was accepted and understood.. in a way that's hard to find in Indiana), and sat down by the lake to eat our lunch on one afternoon.

But, each time we ventured off, I just wanted to get back to the farm. I'd browse the gift shop. Or sit on our cabin porch and watch the sunset.. the pink glow bouncing off the pigs' white backs. And after dark, every single night, we'd open the front door to see at least six deer grazing the lawn right in front of our cabin.

This felt like sacred ground. As I posted on Facebook while I was there: "Forget Disneyland. THIS is the most magical place on Earth."

So, if you've ever thought about going.. or you're looking for a vegan-friendly getaway, I highly recommend it.