For those few who read here
I do have a blog that I'm posting to on a regular basis so I have been neglecting live journal. It's a strange relationship that I have with LJ. It used to be the only site that I wrote about anything on but now between my blog and Facebook, I feel like I don't have much to say on it. I worry that I'll use up all my inspiration here and not have anything left for other posts. Silly.
So, I'm on a farm now. I've been here 3 weeks and there's no sign of stopping me this time. Last year, 3 weeks into my WWOOFing experience I was ready to leave. But it was mostly just the drama of the place that did it. While I won't say this place is completely lacking in drama, I will say that it's a far cry from what I experienced last year. At least here things are organized, I'm learning a lot and working a lot, and everyone is pretty respectful of space. I realize some of this has to do with my own personal changes that I've made in the past year, but mostly I just think this is a better gig. It helps that we're receiving a stipend here, so I don't feel so taken advantage of as I did WWOOFing at Westwind Farm.
I'm really enjoying my experience farming not just because of the good, honest hard work I'm doing. I enjoy the quieter and calmer energy of the country. It's hard during the times when I do want a little excitement, but for the most part the quiet has allowed me to return to quieter pursuits intensive reading. I haven't really done this much reading since, well, maybe since I've lived in Louisiana. I've visited the library quiet a few times, because in a small town it's a godsend. They have a great movie collection too, which I've taken advantage of. Yesterday I spent most of the day reading Twilight--which is actually quite an entertaining book--and then watched The Illusionist in the evening. I recommend it highly.
There are things that I miss, of course. I miss all my friends in the Twin Cities. I miss the neighborhood I lived in before I moved to the farm. I miss being able to get in my car and get somewhere interesting in 5 minutes as opposed to 20 or more minutes. I miss working out at the YMCA. I miss shopping at a bigger co-op. I miss the energy and vigor of city life. I also miss all the young people there. It's a tad difficult to only see really old or really young faces around you. And although all these people here have been pleasant enough, it feels completely different than the cities. It reminds me a lot of home, as in Louisiana. It's a slightly good and slightly bad feeling. It makes me pretty lonesome for my family, though.
This experience is making me really think about what I really want and need in life. I feel like I'm coming upon another key turning point in my life soon where I'm gonna have to make some big life changing decisions. Part of me doesn't want this to come and the other part knows it's inevitable. I'm scared, confused and excited by these feelings all at once. Right now I guess it's mostly just worry that dominates my mind. Because I don't get too much alone time here, I feel a bit murky and cloudy about my true feelings and limits. I haven't really had much time to just sit and reflect on my own. I'm trying to take that time today. It'll take more that a day, though, to sort out what my needs and desires are and what direction I might take in the future. Will I be a farm girl, city girl, or somewhere in between? Is that even the important question? I just don't know yet.
So, I'm on a farm now. I've been here 3 weeks and there's no sign of stopping me this time. Last year, 3 weeks into my WWOOFing experience I was ready to leave. But it was mostly just the drama of the place that did it. While I won't say this place is completely lacking in drama, I will say that it's a far cry from what I experienced last year. At least here things are organized, I'm learning a lot and working a lot, and everyone is pretty respectful of space. I realize some of this has to do with my own personal changes that I've made in the past year, but mostly I just think this is a better gig. It helps that we're receiving a stipend here, so I don't feel so taken advantage of as I did WWOOFing at Westwind Farm.
I'm really enjoying my experience farming not just because of the good, honest hard work I'm doing. I enjoy the quieter and calmer energy of the country. It's hard during the times when I do want a little excitement, but for the most part the quiet has allowed me to return to quieter pursuits intensive reading. I haven't really done this much reading since, well, maybe since I've lived in Louisiana. I've visited the library quiet a few times, because in a small town it's a godsend. They have a great movie collection too, which I've taken advantage of. Yesterday I spent most of the day reading Twilight--which is actually quite an entertaining book--and then watched The Illusionist in the evening. I recommend it highly.
There are things that I miss, of course. I miss all my friends in the Twin Cities. I miss the neighborhood I lived in before I moved to the farm. I miss being able to get in my car and get somewhere interesting in 5 minutes as opposed to 20 or more minutes. I miss working out at the YMCA. I miss shopping at a bigger co-op. I miss the energy and vigor of city life. I also miss all the young people there. It's a tad difficult to only see really old or really young faces around you. And although all these people here have been pleasant enough, it feels completely different than the cities. It reminds me a lot of home, as in Louisiana. It's a slightly good and slightly bad feeling. It makes me pretty lonesome for my family, though.
This experience is making me really think about what I really want and need in life. I feel like I'm coming upon another key turning point in my life soon where I'm gonna have to make some big life changing decisions. Part of me doesn't want this to come and the other part knows it's inevitable. I'm scared, confused and excited by these feelings all at once. Right now I guess it's mostly just worry that dominates my mind. Because I don't get too much alone time here, I feel a bit murky and cloudy about my true feelings and limits. I haven't really had much time to just sit and reflect on my own. I'm trying to take that time today. It'll take more that a day, though, to sort out what my needs and desires are and what direction I might take in the future. Will I be a farm girl, city girl, or somewhere in between? Is that even the important question? I just don't know yet.