Get this, it's awesome.
Day one at my new home for the week on a farm in Portugal.
Me: So what can I do to help out today?
Boss guy: Well, here everything just flows. So I just want you to flow and to do whats best for you.
Me: uh, okay....... (to myself: flow, flow, shoot. what if I don't know how to flow?)
Ha I love it. There are no hours here. We don't force anything. What kind of farm am I working on? The kind that is also a meditative retreat centre. Yay, that's right, do I know how to pick 'em or what.
That's what I thought at the beginning. Then I realized that I may suck at meditating. It may even be against my religion. (Jesus: You have a religion? Me: uh.....well I guess thats debatable..) I could practice praying. (Jesus: you are going to practice praying? Seriously Annie, what are we, eight years old again? Me: okay okay good point.) Oh oh I know! I could do devotions! ( Jesus: are you looking at me? I'm rolling my eyes. Besides, you would want chocolate to do "devotions." Me: Oh ya, didn't think about that one. And boss guy told me that chocolate is the same thing as heroin. That one won't work out either.)
Anyways, you get the picture. This place is too quiet for me. Too peaceful. They even have two kids under the age of three and their house is still peaceful. I think I need hours, and a schedule and a list of things that need to get done. I've spent most of my time weeding and caring for bamboo. Bamboo. I feel like it is very fitting.
Although, all this fresh air, vegetables, and lack of coffee is making me feel ridiculously healthy and I've been here hardly a week. Another thing that I find I'm fascinated by is how most of the time I can get the gist of their conversations in Portuguese. Sometimes a word is like Spanish, sometimes French, and sometimes I don't remember where it comes from I just know what it means. It's a weird thing though, to understand but to not be able to say one word. And it's even more amazing to be laughing and having a good time while playing with a Portuguese 2 year old and a Latvian 7 year old and realizing that none of us can communicate in each other's languages.
This place is full of curious experiences. It is a meditative retreat.
Annie you do such a fabulous job of making me laugh while making me feel like I'm there in Portugal with you :) This farm you're at sounds.....special. But I can so see you there, laughing and enjoying this cool experience. Keep us posted!
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