Chrissy Omo and her Cheese Farm!

Exhausted after a flight from Miami in to Austin, and a long drive to my parents’ town in the hill country of Texas, they drove me straight to their precinct insisting that they get my vote in before the caucus was to close. After hours of unsuccessful chaos, a mouth-watering meal of pho the size of a fish tank, seared duck breast with plum sauce on an arugula salad, bottle of malbec, and a fiery plate of basil beef from August E’s- Fredericksburg’s hottest new restaurant- my body was ready to retire.

A refreshing sleep, only to be awoken by my sixty-one year old father, risen at sun-rise, ready to take “the day to its knees,” as he would say. Dressed in running gear, I realized that if I took half an hour getting ready, he would have already become too impatient and would have left for his run without me. Lucky for me, my strategy was achieved and when he came in sweating I sat satisfied in the kitchen, cup of coffee, filled with relaxation. That is—until I heard what was next on the agenda! I was to be picking up my boyfriend at the airport that afternoon, so when my father suggested that we all make the road trip together, and casually stop at a “goat cheese farm” along the way- I was a bit hesitant. Taken by surprise, I was simply happy to hear that the goat cheese part would be over before my boyfriend arrived- as he will have no part in anything to do with goat.

Another winding road trip through the hills of central Texas lead us to a farm where goats greeted us at the door of our car as opposed to dogs- like most homes. Alarmed at first, Chrissy simply implied that they wouldn’t hurt, and indeed you are encouraged to treat them as if they were pets. Chrissy is the young woman who practically runs the entire goat cheese farm- CKC Farms; everything from the milking to the churning, to the creations of flavors, gaining her skills from traveling in Italy.

I say young, because Chrissy is younger than me, and many of you know—I am only twenty-two years old. She and I hit it off as friendly young women would, and then suddenly a wisely mature young adult developed before my eyes. Her business goals, her gratefulness for her family, and willingness to work hard, were all qualities that are rare to find in a young woman. Sitting with a smile on my face, tasting her incredible samples- my favorite being the ash-coated chevre- I saw a woman who I not only admired, but also related to, and in that moment I felt incredibly comfortable in her warm aura of talent and confidence.