WWOOFing in Wales

Hello from the Cotswolds.  The past three weeks have been, well, interesting.  Upon my arrival to Haverfordwest (Christian Bale's hometown - a very important detail) I find a very empty parking lot, instead of my wwoofing hosts, Mandy and David, waiting to pick me up.  It is of course poring rain, and I am afraid to leave to find a phone should they arrive. After an hour or so I decide to wander aimlessly, in a hopelessly small town with little to offer.  Eventually, a phone is found and Mandy and David come to get me.  I fall into my bed without looking back.

Wwoofing was an experience I will never forget.  WWOOF is an acronym that stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.  It started in the UK in 1971 and now takes place all over the world. In return for volunteer help, wwoof hosts offer food and accomodation.  I would definitely do it again, as it is an organization that I believe in (and I have heard many positive experiences), by my situation was not quite perfect.  Without going into gruesome detail, my hosts were not very kind nor considerate, and never said thank you apart from an e-mail I received after it was over.  The husband didn't even come downstairs to say goodbye when we left.  But, I did meet two great people.  Sam was there almost the whole time with me.  He studied in London this past semester and had some time to pass while waiting for his family.  We talked about movies the whole time (a very effective way to mindlessly pass time while doing quite a bit of hard physical labor).  Leila came a week into my stay.  She brought with her a good attitude - and she got us our first day off.  We went on the most amazing eight mile walk along the coast of Wales.  It was gorgeous.  

The majority of the work we did in Wales involved weeding - whether it was in the nursery cleaning up potted plants, in the garden weeding or clearing out large areas of brambles and needles - if it needed weeding, we were there.  There was the occasional transport of manure but other than that it was all about weeding.  My hands have never been so constantly filthy.  

Leila and I hit it off and I am incredibly grateful for it - she invited me back to stay with her family near Stroud, England.  Her local village is called Nailsworth, and it is one of the most charming places I have ever been in my life.  I was there for four days and it was absolutely lovely.  Her family was so welcoming.  The second night I was there her father had a party for his birthday.  I felt like I was sitting in on a world that really wasn't mine.  It was fantastic.

While I started writing this post in the Cotswolds, I am now back in my dear, dear London.  I arrived yesterday by bus.  I'm staying in a hostel in Southwark, just two minutes walk from London Bridge.  It's a great location.  Last night I went to a screening of a film called How to Be (starring the guy from Twilight).  It was not very good, but there was a Q&A with the director and that was interesting.  This morning I went to the market for breakfast, and tonight is EUROVISION.  I can hardly contain my excitement.  I promise I will spare no details in telling all about it later.

Well, I must say, I miss everyone in the States greatly.  Hope you're all doing well!