beingwithbentlee-blog

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Take me back to Montana sunsets.. and the stream I woke up next to every morning #travel #montana

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“We must take adventures in order to know where we truly belong.”

My reflection after returning:

            I look back at the past 3 months, and can’t believe everything I’ve been through. There were moments when I had the biggest smile on my face, and felt pure happiness, and then there were times I had tears running down my face. It was all necessary though, and it all brought me to where I am right now.

            I started my trip with the thought that I would be a changed person when I returned, but that’s really not the case. I’m almost exactly how I was when I started, except that I’m a stronger version of that person. I’ve also just learned to love everything about myself. My so called “flaws” are still there, but I don’t consider them flaws anymore. I’m a pretty quiet and sometimes rather shy person, and I thought I would have a hard time being on my own because I rely a lot on other people. I’ve realized that it’s okay that I’m quiet though. I was on my own for 3 months, meeting amazing people, and I did all of that while being my quiet self. I think it’s important to be true to yourself, and do things the way you’re most comfortable doing them. I was able to see myself through stranger’s eyes, and I discovered a lot about myself. No one really seemed to think I was this shy and awkward person, and I realized it was because I wasn’t. I was just comfortable being me, and was embraced because of that.

            I almost didn’t come back.. as I started driving back towards Pennsylvania, I considered just turning around. I had tears in my eyes at the thought of leaving such an amazing journey. I had even begun looking for jobs in Montana and Colorado. I realized though that with everything I experienced, it wasn’t about where I was, it was more about what I was doing, and who I surrounded myself with. I realized I could be happy anywhere, and that includes State College. Plus, as I drove into Pennsylvania, I was in for a huge surprise. I did not remember it being so beautiful here, I was amazed.

            Although traveling in itself has taught me a lot, so has WWOOF. For one, it has taught me a lot about my work preferences, and what kind of environment I work best in. Each farm has been so different. I think these preferences go beyond work, and can be useful in everyday life. At one farm I had a set schedule, and was always working alongside everyone else, and at one farm I could work any hours I wanted during the day, but I was generally working alone. Both experiences were very different, and although I preferred some of the other, I think it was good to get a taste of both. WWOOF also opened me up to meeting a lot of people from all over, and I opened my mind up to a lot. I now also really appreciate where my food comes from, and have a better understanding of the work that goes into it. My lifestyle has changed a lot in that way; although I always cared about healthy eating and the environment, I find myself wanting to do more to make sure I’m aware of where my food is coming from, and to make sure I’m being as ecofriendly as I can be.

            I’ve been back for a week now, and I haven’t entirely adjusted back to this lifestyle. I feel very different here than I felt out there. My mindset is slightly different; everythin just made so much sense while I was traveling; I had no worries, and just felt very free. I didn’t care about how I looked or what anyone thought of me. I spent the whole 3 months not wearing makeup, and not thinking about what I was wearing. Everyone I surrounded myself with pretty much did the same. It was refreshing, and made me focus on the things that really mattered in life. State College, although filled with wonderful people, is very different in that sense. People do care a lot about what others think.. the mentality is different.

            Although I can’t say I definitely know what I want to do next in my life, I look forward to it. I have faith that everything will come together, and have accepted that it’s okay that I don’t know.

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It feels good to be home! As I drove into Pennsylvania, I was greeted with rain (I didn't expect anything less!) However, I was also greeted with the most beautiful landscapes..My jaw dropped as I stared in amazement at the mountains and valleys surrounding me on my drive. I had forgotten just how beautiful Pennsylvania was. The mountains may not be as big as out west, but I've never seen anything so green! I left here in search of beauty, not realizing I was already in one of the most beautiful places! #Pennsylvania #homesweethome #beingwithbentlee

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Today I leave the Flagstaff EcoRanch, and I'm definitely going to miss this beautiful place and all the wonderful people who came along with it! It has been a great learning opportunity, and made me want to become a lot more environmentally friendly person. I learned so many easy ways to reduce my energy use. Along with the eco friendly practices I took part it, I learned a lot from a book I picked off the shelf here (No Impact Man). I realized there are so many easy ways to reduce my carbon footprint #ontheroadagain #wwoof #arizona #beingwithbentlee

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"At what age did I start to think that where I was going was more important than where I already was? When was it that I began to believe that the most important thing about what I was doing was getting it over with? Knowing how to live is not something we have to teach children. Knowing how to live is something we have to be careful not to take away from them." #noimpactman He is walking his daughter to the park and she stops to play with some chains on a fire hydrant. He tries to rush her along so they can get to the park, but then suddenly realizes she's already having fun. I've been guilty of trying to get things over with, or thinking ahead and not enjoying what I'm doing, but I realize I'm the happiest when I live in the moment. I'm enjoying my last few days out here before heading home.. #travel #beautifulview #flagstaff #beingwithbentlee

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"Travel, not to find yourself, but to remember who you've been all along." I thought by traveling I was going to "find" myself, but really I just fell in love with who I already am #travel #beingwithbentlee

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"I ached for the shelter of my tent, for the smallest sense that something was shielding me from the entire rest of the world, keeping me safe not from danger, but from vastness itself. I loved the dim, clammy dark of my tent, the cozy familiarity of the way I arranged my few belongings all around me each night." #wild For the majority of this trip, I've been sleeping in my tent. It has become home to me. I remember the first time Bentlee ever went in a tent, I had to push him in, and now it has become like home to him too. He loves it, and will run right in. He's usually still sleeping when I wake up too! #tentlife #travel #muttsofinstagram #beingwithbentlee

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Yesterday Bentlee and I went on a rainy 9 mile hike. My phone died a few miles in so I wasn't able to capture some of the beautiful views, but it was kind of refreshing to just be absorbed in nature. As it was raining, I began to think of something I read in #noimpactman He talked about how he was carrying his daughter under an umbrella in the rain and she was crying. He thought she was crying from all the rain, but then realized it was because the umbrella was covering her. Everyone around them was running and looking miserable, trying to get out of the rain. He removed the umbrella and put her down; she stopped crying and began playing in the puddles. Why has rain become such a miserable thing? Bentlee was having so much fun in it during our hike. I've said this before, but I could learn a lot from him about how to enjoy life. Rain is s beautiful thing! #beingwithbentlee #weatherfordtrail #hiking #flagstaff

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We spent the morning harvesting a ton of Kale! Bentlee tried to help too.The kale is being used to make veggie burgers. Although the EcoRanch makes money from this, they donate a lot of their kale as well. They focus on sustainable living and gardening, and have a vision to make this sustainability accessible to all Flagstaff residents #kale #wwoofusa #arizona #farmdog #beingwithbentlee

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Today is my first day of work at the Flagstaff EcoRanch. I will be working 5 days a week for 6-7 hours. This farm is very different from the other farms I've been to because it's an ecoranch, meaning there's a lot of things done to help save water and energy.

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Took a hike to Horseshoe Bend before heading to my last farm in Flagstaff today #arizona #horseshoebend #travel #beingwithbentlee

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Going for a swim with Bentlee! #lakepowell #arizona #travel #beingwithbentlee

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Bentlee is happy that the Grand Canyon is dog friendly and he gets to look at the beautiful views with his mama #grandcanyon #arizona #beingwithbentlee

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Huge trees! #redwoods #California #travel #beingwithbentlee

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Today is my last day on the farm. Working here has been a lot of fun. Yesterday, the other wwoofers and I did a lot of harvesting; we enjoyed digging through the dirt for potatoes; it was like digging for treasure! Work days in general are actually fairly relaxing. I always work in my bare feet, and just sit in the fields weeding or harvesting; there's a lot of conversation going on, and then sometimes it's also silent, which is very peaceful. Lunches are a highlight because we eat food from the garden; the salads are wonderful, and of course Idaho potatoes are delicious! Eating organic food is amazing, and makes me feel amazing too! It's such a great feeling to walk around the garden, picking peas, carrots, raspberries..and just eating them right there. They are such a delicious snack! #wwoof #farming #idaho #beingwithbentlee

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The other morning, Bentlee jumped up on my bed and snuggled against me; something he never does. He's usually too hot and would rather sleep on the floor next to me. It was such a rare occurrence that it was so meaningful to me. He licked me then fell asleep, snuggled up real close. It's little moments like this that make life wonderful. This journey is about Bentlee and I just being, in the simplest sense. I've been trying to focus on just existing and enjoying moments like this while I'm in them. I'm not worrying about what my life will be like when I return to Pennsylvania, I'm living in the now #beingwithbentlee #idaho #travel

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Market day in Sandpoint! We're selling everything we harvested yesterday #farmersmarket #wwoofusa #idaho #beingwithbentlee