Tuesday, September 27, 2016

And the journey continues

Six years ago, I started an adventure.

I had one backpack, a laptop bag and plane ticket. 

I was going to India for the first time. I had just graduated from Binghamton University. Interned at Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute, and decided I needed more life experience. I decided to apprentice under Rico Zook, permaculture teacher and consultant, an American who worked and travelled India 6 months every year.

I fell in love as the plane hit the ground. 

It was my first time to a largely tropical country. The palm trees, the humidity. I felt I was home. 

I started a blog, "To India", documenting my amazing adventures and experiences. 

It was easily one of those most magical and beautiful times of my life. 

Experiences compounded on each other, and the next thing that I knew I was going back to school for a masters in Soil Science. 

I've always felt a pull to go to South America, however never really had a clear opportunity. I'm not really into the whole touristy scene, so if there is not a clear purpose for a trip, I won't go.

It has been within the last year that I started contact with someone in Brazil who wanted to start a vegan permaculture community. This community would hold farmer trainings to facilitate farmers moving more towards agroforestry, in a way to preserve the soil and the land. Otherwise soil in Brazil typically starts to degrade at year 5, under conventional practices.  Working with trees allows the ecology to be more in a natural state allowing the soil to be in a higher state of health. 

Things started to come together, as I also was able to connect with someone who could translate for us because I don't speak Portuguese and he didn't speak English. 

I also reconnected to a friend I had met in India, in Sadhana Forest -- a vegan community dedicated to reforestation. 

There was a time slot in June, where everyone could gather, and we could discuss the initial phases of this project. I didn't think that I would be able to make it to that, however radical changes in my life suddenly propelled me in that direction. 

The moment the plane hit the ground in Brazil, it was surreal, as if I had done it a million times, as if I was already there.

I must say, flying over the Amazon at sunrise was one of the most beautiful scenes I have been able to witness. It was gorgeous and I will see if I can post some pictures, although, pictures don't always capture the essence of the emotion felt at the time-- in addition to my phone breaking and I'm not sure I can recover the snaps. 

I went back to the US, to finish my masters, and now I am back in Brazil for the second time, currently wwoofing.

My plan is to stay a minimum of three months, wwoofing, learning from permaculturists and agroforestry experts, researching on my own time on initiatives in wildlife protection, preservation, soil, water and forest restoration, and other initiatives of communities, NGO's, government and institutions in this environmental work.

In addition to possibly finding funding for a vegan agroforestry community project, me and a close friend of mine who lives in Brazil are looking at properties to possibly buy in order to provide workshops on ecology, meditation, and alternative therapies.








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