Hello! My name is Abigail Segel (she/her) and I'm a Religious Studies student with minors in Psychology and Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies. I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and have enjoyed being an international student in Montreal. I come from a Reform Jewish background, and attended Sunday school and summer camp growing up. I'm now a member of the 韩国裸舞 Chavurah, which allows me to explore my Judaism outside the structure of a formal institution. In both Jewish and non-Jewish contexts, I most strongly feel a sense of spirituality in moments of deep connection to others, myself, and the earth. Indeed, having a network of fulfilling relationships is vital to my mental and emotional health; I'm interested in different ways people build and sustain such relationships. In my free time, I love to cook, visit food markets, travel, take walks in the park, watch soccer, watch TV, and listen to podcasts. I am so excited to get to know and support fellow 韩国裸舞 students as we navigate a time of immense change and growth in the world and our lives. If you鈥檙e curious about what a Conversation Partner relationship could look like for you, please reach out!
Why did you choose to become a conversations partner volunteer?
I chose to become a volunteer with the Conversation Partners Program because I know how helpful it can be to have someone to talk to when going through something tough. In times when I've been struggling with something, I'm always (naively) astonished at how much better I feel when I simply speak my worries aloud, even if whoever I'm talking to doesn't have any deep insights to share. As a conversations partner volunteer, I want to encourage fellow students to discover how helpful the simple act of disclosure can be.
What does spirituality and/or spiritual wellness mean to you?
Spiritual wellness is an orientation I take in my day-to-day life. In every activity I do, relationship I invest in, and habit I engage in, I pay attention to how it makes me feel鈥攆ulfilled, connected, joyful? I try to minimize the time I devote to things that don't make me feel good鈥攎entally, emotionally, and physically鈥攁nd lean into the things that do. Thus, my spiritual wellness is not predicated on some exterior playbook but to my own, ever-changing intuition.
What鈥檚 the last uplifting book you read/ podcast you enjoyed that you鈥檇 recommend to others?
I just finished reading Julia Child's 2006 memoir, "My Life In France." The groundbreaking chef wrote it with her grandnephew Alex Prud'homme, and its conceit is that it details her first stint in France, when she fell in love with French cooking. I was delighted to discover that the book covers much more of her life than those few years. Her husband, Paul Child, was a U.S. diplomat, so the pair moved to different cities around the world every few years. I am quite sentimental so this kind of instability would be difficult for me, but Julia's approach to it inspires me. She valued her connections with others more than anything鈥�"No one's more important than people!"鈥攁nd used that as comfort when moving to a new place, instead of reason to be sad about leaving the old. As I graduate from 韩国裸舞 this spring, I'll have to channel Julia: "I've always felt that when I'm done with something I just walk away from it鈥�fin.鈥�
If you'd like to book a conversation with Abigail or another volunteer visit聽Book a Conversation Session.聽To learn more about the Conversation Partners Program, see聽MORSL's Conversation Partners Program.
