Its the Final Countdown....

I've been trying to write a blog post to sum up my experience in India for about the past hour. After writing and deleting and making my way through an entire pot of tea I have come to the conclusion that this is impossible to do. It may be my laziness or my lack of clear thinking after all that caffeine, but I also just don't think its necessary. One thing I do have to admit is that India was not an easy place to travel. This is part of what I loved about the country, but also what I hated. Cultural differences and lack of efficiency in the most basic processes in India made me quite excited to come home. The amazing food, cheap marketplaces, and the most absolutely ridiculous transportation circumstances (think a cow on a motorbike, flying three feet in the air on the back of a bus, and fitting nine people in a three-man vehicle) made up for the frustrating times. Truth be told, I have no plans to go back anytime soon.

Even at a farm run by a non-profit created by activist Vandana Shiva things were not quite as I expected them to be. While no one can be perfect some things on the farm weren't run with the same policies I have heard come out of Vandana Shiva's mouth. The "Chemical-Free Zone" of Bija Vidyapeeth used gallons of turpentine to paint our living areas and brought in food from unknown locations for our meals rather than using what was grown on the farm. I don't feel its necessary to disclose my entire opinion of the place in case anyone else is looking to travel there themselves. There are a few things I would have done differently knowing what I know now, though. First, I would have been fluent in Hindi. Second, I would have showed up for a year or two with a more practical project that could benefit the farm. Finally, if I had no project, I only would have come for a course then traveled to other farms that could have used my help. Running a non-profit in India can't be easy and I think Bija Vidyapeeth is really trying to do the best that they possibly can do. However, if I were them I would work out a few logistical areas and communication issues before inviting too many more people to the farm.

However, I would not trade all the people I met on the farm for anything. Of course, this was what I got most out of the experience. Not only the people who worked on the farm but those traveling through truly made the experience for me. I met storytellers, students, job quitters, soil scientists, green builders, farmers, Italians, yogis, hippies, politicians, artists, travelers, architects, activists, doctors, musicians, permaculturalists, entrepreneurs, and chefs and learned something from each and every one of them.

There... I knew if I just started writing it would come out. But of course there is always more to say....

Next up! Chapter 2: I have been back in Montana for nearly two weeks skiing, settling into my new home, and starting my final year of grad school in Missoula. My new home in Missoula is at the FLAT (Forum for Living with Appropriate Technology) where I will take on projects to demonstrate sustainable living with other students. I am quite excited for this opportunity and look forward to the projects we come up with. I plan to focus my time on projects for the garden and ways to get the local community more involved. As projects come up I would like to continue to share my experiences and will plan to add to this blog. Thanks for following me on the first part of my journey!

The height of intern season at Bija Vidyapeeth.

The cutest old man chef I know! Prem ji

Bonds are quick when living on a farm in India!