Return to Society

It’s nearly time to re-enter society. At the end of the month, I will have spent 12 weeks on the farm.  A long, mostly good 12 weeks.  After going pretty much all gas no brakes since I landed in New Zealand last August, I was very grateful to have some time to myself and a times even felt a little bored for a change.  I’ve had time to explore interests I’ve been meaning to for so long and pause for a moment to reflect before diving head-first into these next few months of travel.  Trust me, we’re going to be running on fumes again by the time I’m home.

Each month on the farm was a little different so I’ll give you a brief overview:

• Month 1: Joyous! Restful!  Although every day was rainy and I had barely any internet, I was appreciative to curl up into a little ball and read books, write in my journal, and play harmonica

• Month 2: Still enjoying life offline, it starts growing old.  Spending every day getting kicked at and pooped on by cows and sitting inside without easy access to friends and family is bound to be hard for any over a long period.

• Month 3: The sun returns, Starlink is installed, life is good.  The farm and this region are truly gorgeous and I get to take in the sunrise and sunset every shift and spend more time riding on the quad bikes.  Working 7 days a week starting at 4:45am only gets more difficult with time.

At the start of month 3, I realized that while things were brightening up, it was getting close to my time to go.  I have appreciated the many lessons and experiences I have gained from dairy farming.  To quote the backpacker I found this job from, "It was about as good an experience as you'll find on a dairy farm." I have saved the money I needed to continue my travels, and I had to refocus on my main priority of travel.  Any extra time I spend here is time that could be spent traveling or at home with my friends and family.  Can you tell I’m getting a little stir-crazy?

So.  Looking ahead.  Where to next?  In classic Australian backpacker fashion, I am headed to paradise on Earth.  Aka Bali.  Duh.  An old friend, Sophia, texted me a couple of weeks back telling me to quit my job and go to Bali with her.  If one of this year's purposes is to be spontaneous and push my freedom's limits before I have real adult responsibilities, how could I say no?   The next day I booked a flight to Denpasar with no plan.  I’ll be back in Oz three weeks later.  

In the meantime, I still have a week and a half on the farm.  Should you have any burning cow-related requests or questions, now is the time to voice them.