WWWWWOOOOOOFFFF!!!!!

Well I just got back from my first Farm. It was pretty amazing. hard to describe. It was such an intense experience in so many ways. The farm is located on a hill about 45 min car ride to the nearest town (which is barely a town) and about 2-3 hours to the nearest city (which is barely a city). In other words... remote. The  property is long and skinny on a steep hill between the road and the water. When you reach the house the view opens up to this beautiful Fjord (lake, bay thing...large body of water) with mountains all around it. All very green. It was breathtaking. And this view was my television for the past week. we ate breakfast dinners and lunches in front of this big window that overlooked it all, and we would all sit together, eating delicious fresh food and just stare at it all.

The work varied by day. I helped put up fences, put insulation around their house (grass insulation that is). we went to buy wood and brought it to their house. And when you live that far away without a car, bringing wood to your house is a very difficult chore. Their main source of income is honey, they have 19 hives, or 3,000 bees. I couldn`t really help much with that. but I got to observe with the suit and everything and it was really fascinating.

I also discovered my passion. Before I thought it was theatre, until I came to this farm and discovered an activity I could do my whole life and be a very happy man. Picking Blackberries! Their farm is covered in wild blackberries and I spent many hours picking/eating kilo after kilo. It is so peaceful and simple and wonderful.

Their farm is not the typical rows of produce type farm, since their main product is honey it looked more like an overgrown backyard. The climate is a cold rainforest, meaning it rains average once or twice a day, and everything is covered in dense vegetation. A really beautiful climate. I didnt mind the rain that much. It would never last that long. And there was always at least a little sun every day.

They were a really beautiful family. The two parents and their son, 11, who I adored. They had never had a United Statesian in their household, and they seemed a little apprehensive to be having me. This was my first experience with people who were very emotionally affected by the dictatorship in Chile and for them it is still fresh. Most of the people I have talked to about it are too young to remember. But for them our country is still a potent enemy, that brought a dictatoriship which killed thousands and completely changed their cultural and economic landscape. At moments it was a bit difficult to be there and to hear what they had to say. But I think I grew a lot because of it. And they made me feel very welcome in their home. By the end of it I felt part of the family.

This was a beautiful life changing experience that I can´t recomend enough to anyone. www.wwoof.org. There is so much I could say about it, but I will save it for in person.

Love,

Joe