I write my first blog post from the woodsy backyard of Brattleboro, Vermont as I sit on a round bed running along the side of a sloping circular room. Outside the screen door i can hear the remaining drops from last nights storm falling through the branches overhead. This angle deficient wooden pod is where I will be sleeping for the next two weeks while I volunteer on the Leighton Homestead as part of the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms(WWOOF)
At this point I think I’ll paise to explain a few things. To begin with I’m sure you are wondering why I have chosen to tell you all this. And as you may have guessed my motivation begins with the fact that as a journalism student travel accounts are exciting …when done right. And I hope to do this right.
True, my current financial situation prevents me from reporting to you from a five star resort in the Caribbean …and Parisian moonlit evenings are somewhat out of reach, but I’m working with what I’ve got here.
I’ll begin by explaining how WWOOFing generally works. It all begins on a membership based website where globe trotting volunteers can find farms in almost any place they could hope to visit. Once travel arrangements have been made, their hosts will provide food and lodging in exchange for good old-fashioned labor.
This, of course, seemed like the perfect excursion for a poor college student looking to become one with nature. Which is how I ended up here-miles away from my perfectly square bedroom in Connecticut.
In the coming entries I hope to translate my adventure in WWOOFing through skills I’ve learned, practices I’ve taken part in and maybe even with some general commentary about the area (this is my attempt at a travel blog after all). Right now, I should probably sleep.
Elizabeth Gillis 