For The Wild

I don’t talk about this part of the work very often, but one of the things I love most about these conversations is how completely I disappear into them. When I’m out recording, walking with someone, listening deeply, following a story through a landscape, I become so present with the person, the place, and the moment that I lose awareness of myself entirely. I’m not thinking about how I sound or what I look like. I’m just there. Then comes post-production and ooof…Listening back. Looking through photos. Watching footage….😅 Honestly, even after 12 years of doing this work, I still have a strong self-critic. Sometimes I hear my voice and immediately want to close the laptop. Sometimes I see an image of myself and get pulled into self-consciousness instead of remembering how connected I felt while making the work. It feels vulnerable to admit that publicly, but it also feels real. I think a lot of people who care deeply about their work probably know this feeling. You love what you do, but sharing yourself alongside it can still feel uncomfortable. I’m curious how other people move through that. How do you keep creating and sharing the work you love while also navigating your inner critic?

Ooof…this one hits hard. I’m off to prioritize my spring cleaning… New Episode Drops Today 🍊 🙏 @drinkritu @terra___elaya 🙏

I owe my life to the Plant world. In a culture where I feel constantly forced into dysregulation, plants bring me back to Earth. They slow me down so I can be reminded of what my priorities actually are. That’s a big part of why Ritū has become such an important ritual in my life lately. Making a cup gives me a pause. Boiling water, stirring in honey, holding something warm in my hands for a minute. It sounds simple, but those moments genuinely help regulate my nervous system and shift the direction of my day. I especially notice myself reaching for it when I’m starting to spiral a little. It helps me settle enough to come back to myself and make better decisions from a steadier place. And I genuinely love the plants in it. Roasted chicory root, cacao, mesquite, barley, amaranth. Deep and earthy. We’re very intentional about sponsorships at For The Wild, so I only share things that actually feel aligned with my life and values. I’m really grateful @drinkritu found its way into my daily rhythm the way it has.

I really appreciated spending time with Carlo at @slowlife.family.farm . It was so lovely how naturally conversation could move from the practical to the existential. We’d be talking about food, farming, labor, or land, and suddenly we were inside much bigger questions about freedom, dependence, modernity, and what kind of lives we’re actually building. At one point, Carlo asked something simple but piercing: what is independence? Is it having money? Or is it being able to feed yourself? Modern culture talks endlessly about freedom, but so much of what surrounds us seems designed to keep us distracted, disconnected, overstimulated, and dependent on systems we barely understand. Technology, convenience, endless consumption, social media, capitalism moving at full speed…it becomes harder and harder to tell the difference between autonomy and attachment. And maybe independence has never really existed on its own anyway. Maybe the deeper question is about interdependence. About knowing how to care for one another. Knowing where food comes from. Knowing how to participate in the life around us instead of only consuming it. I’m grateful for people like Carlo who still make space for these conversations…slowly, philosophically, over meals, walks, gardens, and long afternoons together. Episode 1 of Fat of the Land is out now. Curious about our sponsors…check them out 🧡🍊 @drinkritu and @terra___elaya #FatOfTheLand #ForTheWild #SlowFood #Interdependence #LandBasedLiving

It was Mother’s Day yesterday, and I kept my expectations very low… I spent most of the day fixing my washing machine and my old propane Wolf range, then went on a hike with my baby girl and my neighbor Katey, who has become such an important part of helping me raise her. It felt simple and grounding and perfect. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to raise a child in village life. To have elders around. Shared meals. Long conversations. People checking in on each other. Kids growing up around many different ways of being human. Looking back at these photos from Sicily, I just feel really grateful that my daughter gets to come with me into all these different places and communities. Solo parenting can be exhausting, but bringing her along for this work feels like one of the deepest gifts of my life. She’s sat through so many conversations already…around kitchen tables, farms, forests, fishing docks, dinner parties, with people who are deeply in love with the Earth and with life itself. I’m so curious how all of this will shape her. Spending time with Jessie and Carlo at @slowlifefamilyfarm was an anchor point for me. What struck me most was how in love with life they both are. You can see that aliveness in their eyes, in the way they talk about land and food and history, in the way they welcome people in, cook, ask questions, tell stories. I didn’t grow up this way, and maybe that’s part of why I care so much about giving this to my daughter now. Feeling especially grateful for this work lately. For the people who open their homes and lives to us. For the chance to travel slowly. For conversations rooted in love for the Earth. Anyway, just wanted to share this little photo memory from the making of Fat of the Land 🍊 Hope you’re enjoying Episode 1. Episode 2 drops Thursday. And as always, deep gratitude for our sponsors @drinkritu and @terra___elaya #italy #ForTheWild #SlowFood #VillageLife #Motherhood

Jessica Jocelyn Ever More: poems on pregnancy and motherhood #mothersday #motherhood #mothering

Our latest Fat of the Land Digestivo is now up on Patreon 🏔️ In this bonus mini episode, I sit down with @tatianapaisbecher , former mayor of Auronzo di Cadore in the Italian Dolomites. Tatiana spent years advocating for the protection of the Dolomites while also navigating the realities of living in one of the most visited mountain regions in the world. Our conversation moves through questions of tourism, care, stewardship, and what it means to arrive in a place with humility and respect. We speak about the responsibility of visitors, the changing relationship between locals and the land, and the ways communities are trying to hold onto culture, memory, and belonging amidst immense change. I really loved this conversation. It felt thoughtful, grounded, and deeply relevant to the questions many places are facing right now. By joining us on Patreon, you’ll get access to all five Fat of the Land Digestivos, along with early episode releases, reflection prompts, zines, extended archives, and more. Thanks for supporting slow, independent media and helping these kinds of conversations continue! Patreon link in bio.

Episode 1 of Fat of the Land is out now 🍊 One of the things that stayed with me most about Jessie is the way she speaks spiritually about land without ever drifting into the abstract. She roots everything in physical detail. I think that groundedness is part of why her reflections feel so moving. Walking with Jessie (@slowlife.family.farm ) through Sicily, we spoke about the terraces carved into the hillsides, the villages shaped by migration, the springs, the gardens, the old paths still being followed. She spoke about the land with so much tenderness and attentiveness, like something you remain in conversation with over a lifetime. At one point, she shared that she sees humans as gardeners and caretakers, participants in the life of a place. That thought followed me long after we stopped recording. This first episode moves through conversations on land, food, memory, labor, and the relationships people continue building with place across generations. You can listen to episode one now wherever you find podcasts. Always grateful to @drinkritu and @terra___elaya for helping make this series possible 🍊

New Episode Drop 🍊 Embracing hunger, desire, and a calling for connection, we’re delighted to share the first episode of Fat of The Land with you. “I really feel I was called here, and I really feel this land itself is calling for human touch.” — Jessie, Fat of The Land, Aperitivo S1:1 Fat of The Land is a series that asks us what we mean when we look for connection between people and the land. Following a desire for real relation, for deliciousness, and for slowness, each episode traces what happens when we follow this desire. This opening episode grounds us in Sicily with Carlo and Jessie at @slowlife.family.farm . Together with Ayana, they dive deep into the history of Noto, Sicily, and how it has sustained human life across centuries. Carlo and Jessie share the beauty of gardening and cooking in ways that embrace slowness and layers of meaning. What does it mean to be independent as growers and gardeners while also recognizing our deep interconnectedness with both the land and each other across time?  Let this episode pique your appetite for more to come.  Grateful to @drinkritu and @terra___elaya for supporting this series 🌱

New Zine! Whales and Waters: Listening for the Deep 🐋 "If we could get a better appreciation of the meaning and function of these sounds, we might be able to ask them where it hurts." –Fred Sharpe 🌊 In homage to our In the Company of Humpbacks series, this zine is an investigation into both the material realities of our oceanic world and the spiritual meanings this world conveys. Dedicated to looking closely at the water and the beings that inhabit it, Whales and Waters: Listening for the Deep, speaks to our relationships with knowledge, the more-than-human, breath, thrums, and waves of all kinds. 🐋 With wisdom from our conversations with Dr. Fred Sharpe, Joe Olson, Rachel Meade, Dr. Kate Stafford, Kurt Russo, and Veda Austin, let this zine guide you towards the water, whales, and the mysteries of our relations. 🐚 This meaning making is accompanied by writing and art from For The Wild community members, Anna Begas, Moudi Sbeity, Vaughan Wilkins, Kyla Sjogren, Rebecca Routman, Julia Bollinger, Kat Dimitruk, and Claire Ciccarone. Zine cover art by Claire Ciccarone (@agardenofsorts_ ) 🌀 To access our digital zine, you can purchase it on our website (forthewild.world/zines), or sign up for our Patreon at The Study ($5 USD) tier or higher (patreon.com/forthewild). Access these links in our bio. Writing: @vaughanwilkins @moudi.sbeity @anna_begas Art: @katdimitruk @agardenofsorts_ @julialbollinger @rrbe @kyla_sjogren Writing: @juliaa.jaj Editing and Proofreading: @victoriaavpham @loombound_ Design: @loombound_ Musical Playlist: @victoriaavpham Website: https://forthewild.world/zines Patreon: /forthewild We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of our partners Five Fingers Lighthouse, Puget Sound Chapter of the American Cetacean Society, and @barnaclefoods . For The Wild is created by Ayana Young, Victoria Pham, Erica Ekrem, Julia Jackson, and Aurie Bittle. Sounds and images collected under NOAA/NMFS Research Permit 26663. #Zine #SlowMedia #WhalesAndWaters #ListeningForTheDeep #MoreThanHuman

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Babes, I can’t quite believe this… our anthology goes to print next month!!! We’ll be out in the world this fall, gathering in community. We’re dreaming up a book tour that moves slowly through intimate, cozy spaces…places where conversation can deepen and linger. We’re heading across the U.S., Canada and into Europe, and possibly down to Aotearoa and Australia. If you’re an independent bookstore, a café or tea space, an apothecary, a small shop, a farm, eco village, a restaurant, or part of an intentional community; we would love to find our way to you. If it feels aligned, reach out to us at [email protected]. We’d be honored to be hosted, to share the book, and to spend time in conversation together. #anthology #print #firstbook #tour #letshang Image via @whereiwouldliketoread