Week one on the farm done, and life is going smooth! My host, Kwan, says I look healthier than when I arrived. I’m sure he’s right. Good sign I don’t have dengue yet….
Me and my other Workaway partner, Justin, have been simply devoured by the mosquitos that Kwan says are predicting rain. No rain yet. We think he may be lying.
Either way, we are learning a lot about organic (and non organic) farming in Thailand. Truly a bummer to know how corrupt food production is anywhere in the world, but people like Kwan give me hope for what we can change just in the world around us.
Justin, on the other hand, left his Silicon Valley life to try his hand at literally trying with his hands. After only a week I’m amazed at how much he has embraced this lifestyle and come to appreciate the practice of organic farming. Watching him harvest his own food (despite the constant blood sampling and bite leaving) and eat his first home grown tomato warm from the sun and ripe from the vine made me happier than anything so far on my trip.
We both have endured some intense labor but learned much about finding humor and reward from the most uncomfortable tasks. Even watering the cow shit has a purpose <3
This farm experience has me missing my Peaceful Belly family more than anything. As I’m in Kwan’s nursery, filling soil trays and painstakingly allotting only 3 lettuce seeds into each cell, I find myself missing something. I don’t have Bee or Tilly keeping me company, nor am I going to head inside to see Lizzy and Sav and Katherine and Josie and everyone else who’s smiles or scowls I wish to see again (Kelly I didn’t mention you just to make you mad). To those of you maybe possibly reading this, and even if you aren’t, know that you are in my mind often and fondly <3 if it weren’t for you all I would not have the skills I needed to carry me through this chapter!!!
Once I remember to stop scratching my ankles, it’s easy to look up at the sun shining through the banana leaves, wipe the constant sweat off of my chin, and feel a deeper peace than any resort could offer.
