Meet Amanda Hoffman.
"I have no idea what I'm going to do after I graduate. It's not that there's nothing that I want to do, I just want to do everything. I have lots of interests. I'm an English major, and history minor. I wanted to be an art major, but I don't want to live in a box in New York City. I'm still playing catch up with the whole regular life thing. In a couple of months, I plan on getting my license, and when I graduate in May, I'm going to move back home and help my mom. She lives in a 200 year old farm house in Northwest, PA; it's about a ten hour drive from Philly. The electricity is old; it's actually the same electricity when electricity first came out. You cant have two major appliances on at the same time! There is no cable, no internet, and so I'm not immersed in all of the technology. It's kind of like a break from all of that stuff. The water is actually water from a well, because we're so far away from everyone else. It's pretty clean though! We have an ATV for entertainment! The land is 254 acres, and it's been declared as a nature reserve because there's a bald eagle living there. It's kind of nice to just sit down and meditate. My mom and dad are separated, and my dad lives in the city with my sisters. My mom wont give up the farm house. She has 11 brothers and sisters so she doesn't want to give it up, because there is a lot of history there. The house was passed down to her, and the table in the living room was hand built by her brothers and sisters 60 years ago. My mom teaches all of the English, and play production classes to the seniors at Union City High. She's also a gardener. She's 58, and looks no where near it! She's very healthy and exercises a lot. My dad is 63 and asks like a child! He's a control freak, and a prankster!
It's different at the farm house compared to the city. The air is so different, and you can see every star. You wake up at dawn, and you're in bed when the sun goes down like the old days. I don't really have a social life. I have one best friend, and I see her twice a year. We don't feel the need to see or talk to each other all the time to have our friendship feel validated. I like to be alone if possible, and I choose this. If I go to parties, introducing myself is draining. I don't email people or go on facebook. I use my laptop and I research topics that I'm interested in. I ignore people like the plague! I have traveled a lot because my mom and dad wanted me to be cultured. They put me in a people to student ambassador program. They take you overseas and give you tours. I've been to England, Ireland, Scotland, Whales, Australia, Japan, Spain, France and Mexico. My trips to Spain, France, and Mexico weren't with the program though/ My favorite trip was Japan because I identified with the culture there the most. They're very polite and not touchy. I'm overly polite, open-minded, and I except everything." - Amanda
It's different at the farm house compared to the city. The air is so different, and you can see every star. You wake up at dawn, and you're in bed when the sun goes down like the old days. I don't really have a social life. I have one best friend, and I see her twice a year. We don't feel the need to see or talk to each other all the time to have our friendship feel validated. I like to be alone if possible, and I choose this. If I go to parties, introducing myself is draining. I don't email people or go on facebook. I use my laptop and I research topics that I'm interested in. I ignore people like the plague! I have traveled a lot because my mom and dad wanted me to be cultured. They put me in a people to student ambassador program. They take you overseas and give you tours. I've been to England, Ireland, Scotland, Whales, Australia, Japan, Spain, France and Mexico. My trips to Spain, France, and Mexico weren't with the program though/ My favorite trip was Japan because I identified with the culture there the most. They're very polite and not touchy. I'm overly polite, open-minded, and I except everything." - Amanda
"I used to fish, and today is actually my first day getting back into it. I'm bored and I live with two women so it gets me out, and gives me something to do! I got hurt at work back in 1995, and stayed until 1997 but I just couldn't do it anymore. I'm 52 years old and I've been fighting to get money due to my injuries. I've had two surgeries, lost my house, the lady and everything. I lived in my car for a year and a half right by the river. To make a long story short, they had to pay off the judge. I have 3 kids, one passed away in a car accident. It's crazy how I was able to stop living out of my truck but when I worked, I did work for a man 30 years ago and he was my first customer. He would call me from time to time and ask me to do handy things that he couldn't do. He found out my situation and let me live with him, because he wanted to help. He passed away, and the house was left to his cousin. His cousin lived there and then he died, and I was given the house. It's just been hard because the little money that I have coming in goes right to the mortgage, but I'm thankful because it's better than living in a truck!" - Pat
