Happy thanksgiving

So my last post was meant for a week ago but farms aren't known for their reliable internet so I was just able to publish it. I would like to start off by saying how much i loved staying on Babbinswood farm, to was a truly special experience. On the farm I learned a new form of chill, time there wasn't a thing. We ate when the work was done and the oven heated. We listens in and played music when it was cold inside, and it was always about taking time to get the best results, not doing things the fastest way possible. Wen making pumpkin pie i baked the pumpkin (picked from the garden) to bring out the flavor instead of taking the easy route. I learned how kind and generous people can be, opening up their homes with faith of good company to complete strangers. I learned about farming, how to treat the earth, and how to cook for ten people all out of my garden.  I feel as though i have become a much more grounded person after  my stay there, and the friendships that i gained will stay with me forever. Leaving was the worst part about it, and this includes dealing with a house so cold you wore more layers inside than out. The last night of my stay my lovely Frenchman friend cooked me pecan pie, in honor of the. (At that point) upcoming thanksgiving and my last night. We spent the evening laughing, listening to my British friend play guitar and eating fresh bread. In the morning I made chai tea as my parting gift, was presented with a box of cookies for the road, and after a hug to everyone with tears in my eyes, said goodbye. 

The above picture is of the babbinswood family :)

 I am currently in Rudyard England, on a new farm called Ramshaw wood and meadow. This farm is totally different than my last. This farm is run by an old retired British couple who only moved here a few years ago. They are working on restoring a very much neglected and abused woodland to try and invite more natural tree growth. A lot of their projects are around the house working on making it more Eco conscious. I am the only woofer here, but it's all right it means that on this last leg of my journey I have plenty of time for self reflection. 

In the intern between my last farm and here I visited St. Andrews University in Scotland. I have a good friend who attends the university and got to spend five days getting to know the town. I have to say the train ride up north was the most beautiful train ride I have ever taken. We went from snow dusted fields  sprinkled with sheep, to giant hills, frosted with snow. Then after Edinburgh the train followed the coast and I got to see the cliffs and swells of Scotland. These two different landscapes ease so nicely together and are truly magical. I arrived on Friday afternoon afternoon after a few train delays to be greeted by five of my favorite people from HMI, the hiking semester school I did. We dropped my stuff off, went to the pub and had a lovely evening parading around St. Andrews, and catching up. The rest of the weekend and beginning of the week was spent walking along the famous beach where chariots of fire was filmed, or going to the cafe where will and cate met. I met a lot of Britons people and a surprising amount of Americans, I even had mutual friends with a few of them. St. Andrews is easily the most beautiful university I have been to, though I'm not sure it's for me. Though, I have to say the beauty of it, and the fact that they regularly have balls and reeling dances does entice me. My one mistake was not contacting my parents on journey to Ramshaw wood, but the amount of frustrated forms of communication that at one point may have seemed silly to me was exactly what I needed today from my mother and friends. The huge effort to make sure I was alive, after my daft lack of communication was the sign of love I needed on my first thanksgiving away from home.

Now I'm at Ramshaw wood with only a week to go in England. This fall has absolutely flown by and that leads me to my last words for today. In the spirit of thanksgiving I am so thankful for this opportunity to travel and see a bit of the world, even if it has been a small one. I have traveled to six different countries, for varying amounts of time, over the span of three months. What I am truly thankful for though is the people I have met. I feel as though they have shaped me and I hope to keep some of them in my life forever. The hardest part about my travels has been having to say goodbye to so many people that I feel truly connected to. These people range in age, ethnicity, income, beliefs, but have all somehow influenced me. Thank you to all the special people in my life, in Chamonix, on Babbinswood farm, in Scotland, back home in concord, in Maine, all over the US. Especially thank you to my parents who continue to support me on whatever adventure i decide to tackle, and for letting me partake on an overseas trip. Thank you, thank you, thank you.