This is a photo of me while shopping for farming overalls. Bright-eyed and beaming with excitement over what was ahead of me. I was on the verge of becoming an organic farmer - something I'd been dying to learn more about for years and never felt fully ready to do. I knew, however, it was something I had to do. So, I pushed myself to try.
The past two and a half weeks have been my first ever on a farm of any kind. I still can't believe I made it 33 years of my life without spending any decent amount of time on a farm. I'm already learning more than I can seemingly retain - a plethora of information I'll be able to use for a lifetime.
Last summer, when I completed my training as a holistic nutritionist, I quickly decided to become a WWOOFer. As part of a volunteer organic farming exchange, I wanted to learn all about how to farm organically in a place I felt strongly connected to - another reason I moved back to British Columbia last fall. I wanted to jump right in, but instead took the winter to rest my bones in Vancouver, a place I'd already called home. When spring sprung I was dying to get my fingers in the dirt and play farmer, and once I mentally made the decision everything started to fall into place. The connections I'd made with BC farmers in the fall had come back around as opportunities for the summer and I jumped at the chance to immerse myself in nature.
This is just something I had to do. It was eating away at me for months, not letting the idea rest until I latched on and I have to say I have never felt more comfortable with a new experience. Nothing about my time here has left me wanting to jump ship or run for the hills. I know I'm headed in the right direction.
It's still early yet, but my intention is for this to be a learning experience and not a change of lifestyle for me. However, it surely is a way of life I can imagine myself living one day. This way is much different than anything I've ever known and I can't believe how disconnected I've been to where my food comes from throughout my entire life. It's sad, really. I'm taking comfort in the fact that I've come to this realization at a relatively early point in my life.