The Rocky Road to Dublin

Why WWOOF? 

The beginning of this dream to WWOOf in Ireland came to us (Kyle & me) about a year ago celebrating New Years in Santa Marta, Colombia. I, however, have been dreaming of this moment for almost 7 years. 

I first learned about WWOOFing from my college orientation leader in the fall of 2010. Jeannette had spent a year WWOOFing in Latin America between her junior and senior years at Yale. She described her experience as a time of arduous manual labor and deep personal growth.

            My sophomore year at Yale I experienced academic burnout. I studied constantly, but a numbing T.V. static buzzed constantly inside my head, making it impossible to concentrate. I thought I wouldn’t make it through the semester. Remembering Jeannette’s story, I rushed to purchase a WWOOFing membership to volunteer on organic farms in Central America. Luckily, by December, the TV static had faded and I decided to stay at Yale.  Regardless, in the hard months that autumn, the idea that I could escape to the fertile soils of Central America allowed me to push forward.

            A year later, reeling from a relationship’s deterioration, I decided it was time to escape for real. I spent spring of my junior year at a university in Galway, Ireland.  After a semester of wandering down muddy cow paths and climbing into trees that overlooked horse pastures, I had a realization: my soul and body feed on fresh air, physical activity, and engaging with the outdoors (especially in times of uncertainty and hardship).

            Struggling to readjust to Yale’s breakneck pace the following fall, I remembered what I’d learned about myself in Ireland and signed up to volunteer at the sustainable farm.   Every Sunday of my senior year—come sun, rain, ice storm or polar vortex—I walked uphill twenty minutes to the farm. Whether I was pulling weeds beneath giant Brussels sprout leaves or planting tiny seeds in neat rows in the green house, I felt a much missed—and previously lacking—sense of peace and purpose.

            Now, about two years later, I find myself once again lost. I quit my teaching job because severe anxiety (along with other issues) made it impossible for me to both do my job and take care of myself. Since then I've been recuperating. For the first time in my life, I don’t know where I will be in a year’s time. The road ahead of me is muddled with unknowns and plagued with uncertainty. Sweating in the cold, rainy fields of the Emerald Isle with my beloved boyfriend by my side, I hope to reencounter the peace, purpose, and clarity that grow in fresh dirt. That is why I want to WWOOF.

The Adventure Begins

Well, it’s less than 12 hours before our flight leaves for Ireland! Bags packed and passports double-checked, we are ready for an adventure:

Keep your eyes peeled for a post announcing our safe arrival in Dublin on Saturday!

Also, click the link to check out the Rocky Road to Dublin Song. :)