I often think that introductions are the worst part of being in community. I’d rather not be perceived at all. Can we just pretend to know each other and jump right in? No. Okay, let’s start over.
Greetings! I’m Jenn White and I live in Palm Coast, FL. I share a house with my dog, Sky, my bestie, her daughter, our cats, and Rosie the Tarantula. We have a peaceful home full of things that bring us joy and the more than occasional sassy attitude. At night we like to have a drink on our porch and watch the sky for possible UFOs (those can’t all be planes and planets and stars, right?). During the day I’m a middle school science teacher. I started as an Early Elementary Montessori Teacher 12 years ago. About 6 years ago I was offered a position teaching science in middle school. I earned my professional teaching certification through the Florida Department of Education and now I teach at a public school. 7th grade curriculum is my favorite because natural history and ecology are my favorite. There are a few hobbies that I wish would take up more of my time. I like to read about herbalism, the evolution of life on Earth, and whatever sci/fi or fantasy book I can find. I enjoy being on the water and meet up with friends to paddleboard in the summer. I am fascinated by Thanatology and learning about the different ways cultures view death and dying. I’ve been learning how to nålbind socks, which is a cozy winter hobby. When stressed, I like to be in my kitchen–baking is usually my go to. Sometimes I make beautiful and delicious loaves of bread but other times they’re just delicious. Music is life and lately I’ve been listening to Colour Me Wednesday, Camp Cope, and Amyl and The Sniffers.
I’ve always been a wanderer–moving from one opportunity to the next. A collector of experiences, never living in one place longer than 3-5 years. I graduated with my BFA in Fine Art in 2007. I thought about joining Peace Corps but became an AmeriCorps VISTA member instead. Which was fun. I’ve been an environmental educator, a youth case manager, a vegan baker, a milker and herder of goats, a bartender, and a teacher. Despite the fun, I can’t say that I’ve ever felt a sense of purpose. How do people know what they want and then also make it happen? I don’t know. Somewhere along the way, I got really lost. I stopped collecting experiences and just coasted; kind of frozen. I became a sort of hermit but I wasn’t always a snail hiding in her shell. Life can lead us in some interesting directions I suppose. Anyway, it finally happened for me, like a spark lit in my spirit. I want to be a librarian. Who doesn’t love the smell of an old book? The thrill of having access to artifacts, specimens, and special collections? Over the years, even my classroom and house have morphed into a library and natural history museum. A path and purpose became clear for me and I decided to set two goals for myself. One is more short term and it’s to work in service to my community as school librarian. The second is my dream job and that would be to become a librarian at the The National Museum of Natural History.
And now I’m here, with you. I’m excited to be here, nervous about socializing, but happy to have found a new community. I’m taking a page from younger me, putting fear and overwhelm aside to live in the moment. I look forward to being in community and leaning into creativity. Thanks for reading. This wasn’t so bad.
