I leave South Penquite Farm in two days.
My time in Bodmin Moor just flew by.. Practically because I’ve found that living on a farm in the middle of nowhere, the days became quite repetitive. But I truly enjoy this peaceful solitude in the heart of nature. I’ve found myself hiking to the same spot every evening to watch the sunset. It’s a beautiful spot on the corner of my host’s property, just at the crest of a hill overlooking the countryside. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the coast. It’s incredible how tranquil this is. Not one person in sight, only the sounds of birds chirping, wind blowing, and trees swaying. Occasionally a curious sheep will wonder over until startled by a sudden movement. Fascinatingly enough, this field is also home to a settlement of well-preserved hut circles dating back to the Bronze Age. My European friends sometimes joke about how excited I get about old stuff, but c’mon how cool is it to watch the sunset from a 4,000 year old hut circle? I believe the last time I took a breathe of air this fresh was in Cumbria, Northern England, about a year ago. The setting there was much like it is here.The plant life is almost out of a dream. Grass bright green and as fluffy as a cloud. Little brown bristles that sprout tall from the grass, creating an appealing contrast. This time of year, some of the trees are losing their leaves, giving the landscape an ominous appeal. Large stones are spread throughout the land, almost as if blindly tossed by God Himself. The weather is so moist, bright green liken beautifully grows on just about everything that it can; trees covered from branch to roots, rocks with a multitude of character. It’s all so surreal. My hosts are very sweet. I enjoy the time we spend together from working in the fields to tea and lunch. They gave me and another volunteer tips about cities worth a day trip like St. Ives and Padstow. Additionally, they also let us borrow bikes and we biked the famous Camel Trail; 40 total miles on an old, rusty bike stuck in the 5th gear… The legs hurt like hell, but I regret nothing!

The work has been simple and quite enjoyable at times. Besides working with the camping yurts, we’ve been filling pot holes in the drive, trimming thorn bushes, moving fire wood, and cleaning the chicken/turkey coups. Thank God for those Wellingtons they gave me to borrow! In this environment, they are essential; lots of mud (and animal shit). I don’t leave my flat without them…

The weather has been cold most recently; I long for the days of sun bathing in Italy. But that is life I suppose.. Summer has come and past, autumn is here. Autumn! I’m cold already and it’s only autumn! I don’t know how I will survive winter in Milan, so close to the Alps..

The job application is finally online for Legnano! Another step towards starting my job! Everything will be decided the weekend of November 4th.. Fingers crossed! My Workaway ends here the day after tomorrow, so I have found another Workaway until if/when I leave. This Workaway is in a small cottage not too far away, in Dartmoor National Park, Devon. Although I am going to miss the solitude of this place, I am excited to go; another turn of the page, as I have found myself saying lately. I’m primarily excited because of the conversation that I have shared with my future hosts; when asking about what I am capable of doing work-wise, the last question read “and most importantly, do you like cider and socializing?”.

Just from that sentence, I know we will all get along just fine!

Written 10.26.17

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