I think the best part of starting a vegetable garden is how patient it forces you to be. I planted tomatoes back in early May and honestly I checked them every single day for the first two weeks expecting to see something pop up. My neighbor laughed at me and said just give them time. Now it's the middle of summer and those plants are taller than my fence. The cherry tomatoes are turning red faster than I can pick them. I made a simple pasta last night with fresh basil from the same garden just tossed it with olive oil garlic and those warm tomatoes right off the vine. My sister called while I was eating and asked what I was doing. I told her and she goes you sound like you're becoming one of those gardening people. Maybe I am. There's something about watching things grow that changes your perspective on everything else. I find myself less stressed about work stuff because at the end of the day the tomatoes don't care about deadlines. iTLYa7cz4regj

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That podcast episode about urban beekeeping changed how I see city parks completely. The host talked about how bees actually thrive in urban environments because there's more variety of plants blooming at different times compared to rural monoculture farms. I started noticing all the different flowers growing in the pocket park near my apartment. There are these little purple ones that appear in clusters and the bees absolutely love them. I sit on the bench sometimes just watching them work. One landed on my sleeve last week and I stayed completely still until it flew off. It felt significant somehow. My cousin keeps bees out in the suburbs and she says her honey tastes different depending on what's blooming nearby. In spring it's lighter and fruitier from the apple blossoms. By late summer it gets darker and more complex. I asked if I could come help her harvest sometime. She said sure but warned me I would need a smoker and a veil because the girls get protective. I told her that is fine I am ready to earn my stripes.