Italy... A Perfect Volunteer Experience

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After six months of constant travel I was ready for something different.


I landed in Rome on the 3rd of February and within a couple of days I had been caught be every tourist trap and was ready for the countryside.


The Roma -> Florence train dropped me about halfway in a small town called Chuisi where I was picked up and taken to Campo Grande. In the hills of Umbria Campo Grande is an organic farm that has one farmer, two dogs, four donkeys, five chickens, eight cats, and countless olive, walnut, cherry, fig, peach, and apple trees. I found the place through WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms) and spent a perfect three weeks working for room and board on the farm and getting to know some amazing people. After years of neglect the farm was falling apart and the work that needed to be done was vast. The farmer who had just taken over the place had the noble goals of zero emissions and waste, self sufficiency, and producing numerous high quality organic products. By the time I had to leave I felt truly invested in the farm and was reluctant to take my train back to Rome.


As I leave this beautiful farm surrounded by ancient brick towns visible on the far hills I fail to find the right words to describe my feeling for the wonderful animals, the simple joys of completing jobs, and the passion I felt for making the place work. It is far easier to describe a motorcycle trip in India, than the rewarding experience of becoming part of something worthwhile.

I could write about the jobs I completed, or the delicious food I ate, but my time here in Italy will be remembered as growing to love a place, the people, and the ideals I was working for.

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