Experiences From The New Road

Life is all about learning from experiences.

Back on May 23, I wrote about choosing the right fork in the road.

That’s the last time I posted on this blog.

I took the road away from writing and speaking to help my son and his family start an intensive vegetable farming business so that they could be accepted as immigrants.

I believe I took the right road, made the right choice.

It’s been an interesting journey with a range of experiences, shifting perspectives, changes in attitude, frustrations, upheaval.

An example of how my son, his wife and children are overcoming their share of adversity and thriving on it.

Surprising myself by getting up at 4:15 every Saturday morning for 20 weeks to tow a trailer load of produce to a farmers market, helping sell the produce, getting home at 4 pm. 14 years ago, newly arrived from tropical Africa, after helping another farmer at his stall at a market on a freezing November Saturday, I swore I would never do it again.

Amazing what we will do for our children.

Towed the trailer and helped set up a stall at a Thursday market for 12 weeks too.

Working outside.

Many hours on the tractor, erecting the high tunnel, irrigating, weeding, reaping, doing the accounts, collecting supplies. The only writing I have done is for the business website. Grownwright.com

Now we are winding the operation down for the winter, putting equipment away, planting rye as a cover crop, selling the remaining produce, planning for next year.

In a few days, I will have the accounts up to date, ready to hand over to the accountant to prepare year-end returns.

Now I can get back to my writing, I have a talk scheduled in November, working on more. Need to put some effort into selling my book again. Almost time to make some changes to it and publish a second edition. The new business website needs work, as do the social media accounts.

Sitting most of the day at the computer feels like one of many new experiences, I am finding it challenging to switch from an active, mostly outdoors life back to the sedentary life of a writer. Fortunately I have got into the habit of walking 3 km 5 or 6 times a week. I have lost 9 kg since surgery in February. Shed about 5kg from my pre-surgery weight, largely through exercise.

I am determined to keep the weight off and to continue walking through the winter to get fit for my big bucket list adventure next year, around 240 km of the Camino de Santiago through Portugal and Spain. One of the experiences I am looking forward to.

What experiences have you had this summer?