two new friends and some pleasant reminders

Ciao a tutti!

So, the universe delivered two new WWOOF-ers to the farm yesterday.  F and J, a friendly blond pair from Sweden.

It wasn't until their unexpected arrival that I noticed how much I had resigned myself to the mindset of " I am on this trip on my own, and for my own". I was sinking into being the only WWOOFer on the farm, and I had been enjoying the relative solitude as a time for introspection.
For example, the day before they both arrived, A had instructed me to, " go work in the vineyard." So, I spent the entire afternoon on my own just meandering up and down (and up and down) the long rows, fixing posts, and enjoying some one-on-one time with my thoughts.

But as soon as I began talking with F & J, I noticed myself automatically switch roles from quiet worker to outgoing leader. Suddenly, I got to be the one who knew what they were talking about. I showed them all around the property; the cellars, the vineyards, the best spot for picking figs, etc. Getting to explain everything to them really validated just how much I have learned since my arrival.

I relaxed my " I must use this time seriously for transformation" attitude, and just let myself have fun. And when I did, I found that everyone else around me relaxed as well. It has been wonderful allowing myself to simply joke around, play, and enjoy the company of everyone on the farm.

The other day, we were in the vineyard harvesting the Tribiano and Sangiovese grapes. I pointed to a bunch of large red grapes, and asked E if they were also Sangiovese. He replied in his thick Italian accent, "No, these, these is BOMBS." Then promptly plucked off a bunch and began chucking them at L, as he ducked behind me. Needless to say, a full-fledged grape fight ensued in the vineyard.

I love moments like these on the farm. Yes, I came here to work and think and yada yada, but didn't I also come here to just have fun?

Another pleasant reminder came earlier today. A had given the three of us WWOOFers a mini lecture on keeping our house clean. Honestly, I was feeling slightly irritated by it all. Not because it was an unreasonable request, but more so because it brought up (not-so) old feelings of, " JEEZ MOM, I'M EIGHTEEN, I know how to keep my own room clean, you don't need to tell me!"  But man, I'm sure glad he did.

As we were sweeping under the beds, J pulled out a book and handed it to me to dispose of. I turned it over to find " La Strada di Swann, Marcel Proust". For those of ye less Italian speaking, that translates to " Swann's Way by Marcel Proust". I first read Swann's Way for an English project during my senior year of high school. My mom had recommended it to me because of the famous madeline cookie scene, in which the taste of a cookie soaked in tea breaks open the floodgates of the narrator's memory. (AKA my mom thinks I like anything food related, including literature) I was intrigued enough to borrow a copy from the classroom, and as soon as I began reading the novel, I was hooked.

I found Proust's rich prose engrossing and enveloping. I would lose myself in the complex diction and the long trains of thought which the narration followed. The intricacy of his writing ( let alone the story line ) was so great that I could only process it in very small amounts. It took me nearly five months to stomach the whole thing. But when I finally did finish the whole novel, I felt a real pride in what I had just surmounted. Like somehow, by understanding and identifying with Proust's work I had a more comprehensive view of the world. Like I was better at living because of it.

Now sitting before me was the most complicated work I had ever read, made a million times more complex by the fact that it had been translated into Italian. I thought to myself, " Man, if I ever learn Italian well enough to read Proust, then I will truly be a Master. "
But for now, finding Proust tucked in the dust under the bed was a simple and beautiful reminder to take each moment more slowly. Just as Proust's narration dissects each second, describing it in its entirety, I too would like to more fully immerse myself in the present.  I want to really savor every experience, keeping in mind that sometimes the moment can be just plain fun.

So, if you want my advice: relax a little bit, let go of the mind games and play some silly games. And if you're feeling adventurous, go clean your room, you never know what you might find!



ps. Finding Swann's Way also made me really wish that I had brought a copy with me. If any of you kind souls wants to send me one, I'll send some good karma credits your way.