Unfolding As I Go - Carole's travel blog

Thursday, my 4th day on the farm, it was calendula-picking-day (marigolds, or soucis in French). It ended up taking not just one day to pick the whole field (with 4 people) but several days because there were so many flowers! Look at this color, it was just stunning to be in the middle of the field picking these beautiful bright orange flowers, easy to pick off the stem. It was really a magical time to be 'working' in this place. As some people were walking by, hiking or walking their dogs, I saw them watching us, saying hello, and I thought: 'If I were them right now, I'd be wishing I were in that field picking these flowers and working on this farm' - and I was! Of course I do recognize that there is a down-side to what looks like an ideal occupation, so I also want to share the other side of it: the heat and the strong sun, the backache after a while from bending down to pick and carrying the basket. The flowers and leaves are very sticky and make everything

The 3-day aquarell course in Zermatt has taught me something very valuable: how to set up my material outdoors: my paint box, a paintbrush, a water container (the lid becomes the water jar), aquarell paper and a super small and light weight fisherman stool. With this I am all set! Everything I have is in the miniature version to increase the probability of me bringing it along on my trip and places I go to. As a complete beginner and not good at drawing, I use a wonderful tool to start painting (now that I don't have the maestro next to me as I had during the course): YouTube tutorials! I am so grateful for the talented people who share their gifts and help others. This water color flower video is the one I chose to start with, from Jay Lee who really does beautiful paintings and makes it looks so easy and feasible (even if it actually is quite hard for me as a beginner!). I'm still happy with the result and it makes me want to do much more :-)

It's Monday at 12:15 and my train arrives in Läufelfingen, Switzerland, less than one hour away from Basel. Martin, with whom I spoke a couple times for a few minutes on the phone, picks me up at the station, I recognize him from the picture and hop into the van. 'Does it smell like mint in here?' 'Yes we are harvesting peppermint today'. It smells so good! I'm immediately very grateful and happy to get the chance to spend time living and working on this organic farm, ArsNaturalis, as my first Workaway experience. The main work in the summer is harvesting herbs and flowers for herbal tea and medicinal use. There are also some cows but they don't need much care in the summer as they are just grazing in the field all day and night. Although later in the week I participated in the moving of cows from one field to another or bringing them back in the stable for pregnancy check or insemination - and saw some sides I had never seen before. We arrive

With a sprain ankle needing 4 more weeks to heal, what can I do now that does not require taking care of cows nor hiking but that will still be in the mountain fresh air and contribute to my well-being and personal growth? Preferably sitting all day? Painting! My mother is a talented painter and has been going to painting course regularly each summer. I finally dared to do it myself, even though I have no talent in painting/drawing! Google was my friend: 'Aquarell Malkurs in den Bergen' and so I found the perfect course in the perfect place in spectacular Zermatt, at the perfect dates - starting the next day.  Link to artist and course The most impressive feeling: being aware of all of us in the group sitting spread out in front of stunning scenery, the whole day! Lots of people were passing by, looking at us, looking at our paintings, taking pictures of us. I felt so lucky to be here - grateful to be in the place I wish to be. I also really liked the group, really tal

I left for 10 days and am already back home?! It doesn't look like a world trip! but it is planned this way: a soft start in several steps. And I'm also super lucky to have a cozy loving place to stay at my boyfriend's Inayat in Basel :-)  After the stressful time at the end of July to move out of my apartment, I had planned a few days back home in Strasbourg to chill and hang out in the garden at my Mom's to cat-sit our little cat Blue. The pictures speak to themselves how cute he is! I just love being around him, it is really appeasing. He rolls on the ground in the sun - helps me enjoy the present moment :-) And of course it is a great opportunity to meet up and spend time before saying goodbye to my friends and family, those who are around. It is also super nice to spend time with Inayat before leaving for such a long time. Highlight: seeing together the summer light show on the Strasbourg cathedral walls - so impressive and magical! Strasbourg ca

I love train rides, especially long ones. It is for me a time to reflect, to pause life, to daydream and to journal. Along the way there are sometimes some stunning views. Like here, leaving Totnes towards London: along the sea coast! When I look at my past journals and the location of each time I write, it is in the train that I write the most, that thoughts settle and when I feel I have the time ahead of me. But for this to happen, I need a long train ride! Of course the main reason to take the train rather than the plane in this case is the environmental reason, and I love that there are so many benefits for me and that I decided to take that time to 'arrive' and then 'depart'.

I mentioned how delicious the food is here. But to me, the most incredible part of this, it that almost all of it comes directly from the field! It is cultivated by the Growers, the group of students who come to the Schumacher College for 6 months from April to end of September for the full growing session and learn about growing food, permaculture and organic agriculture. Some come with experience and others as complete beginners. Some want to start their own farming business, others want it for the learning experience and growing their own food. So much food grows grows here, from the well-known potatoes, tomatoes and courgettes to all sorts of colors of beans, to quinoa and amaranth and so much more! A few ducks are also around, they let them wonder in specific places in the field to eat up all the slugs that would otherwise eat the plants.    Beauty also has an important part with a patch specifically for cut flowers, for bouquets in the guest rooms but also edible flowers

Another meditation guided by June the next day, very different way of looking at life and quite liberating. These five remembrances help us to identify and look deeply at the seeds of fear. They can be recited daily, read aloud as a guided meditation or used as a silent meditation by individual practitioners. I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old. I am of the nature to have ill-health. There is no way to escape having ill-health. I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death. All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature of change. There is no way to escape being separated by them. I inherit the results of my actions of body, speech and mind. My actions are my continuation. Extract of the book ' Chanting from the heart - Buddhist Ceremonies and Daily Practices ' by Thich Nhat Hanh

Here is a beautiful meditation that was guided by June one morning - a beautiful way to start the day May I be peaceful, happy and light in my body and spirit May I be safe and free from injury May I be free from anger, fear and anxiety May I learn to look at myself with the eyes of understanding and love May I be able to recognize and touch the seeds if joy and happiness in myself May I learn to identify the sources of anger, craving and delusion in myself May I know how to nourish the seeds of joy in myself everyday May I be able to live fresh, solid and free May I be free from attachment and aversion, but not be indifferent We begin practicing this love meditation focusing on ourselves ('I'). Until we are able to love and take care of ourselves, we cannot be of much help to others. Next, we can practice towards other (substituting 'he', 'she', 'they'). First with someone we love, next with someone we like, then with someone neutral to u

'Elegant Simplicity' seemed to be the perfect way to start my year of exploration of myself and the world. And it was! The peace activist, ecologist and author Satish Kumar was giving a short course here at the Schumacher College - that he founded. The food is vegetarian and grown onsite by the group of 'growers' and volunteers, the woods are at our footstep and the atmosphere is that of caring for the mind, body, soul and soil. Now that it is over, I still think it was the best place I could be to start this year of travel for many reasons: - it was a time and place for healing of my newly twisted ankle surrounded by the care and attention of a community and people I have just met. I received lots of love and it was an important challenge to be so vulnerable. I learned to let myself accept this moment of dependence on others. It was really moving to see how much everyone cared for me by helping me get food from the 'buffet' table and sometimes even of