The Adventures Begins

Greeting readers,

This is Charlie and I am writing today as a way for me to expand my writing skills in different types of writing and to share my experiences of living on a community-supported agriculture, CSA, farm as an internship. 

Here I will be sharing my life on a farm from the jobs I did that day to how I am feeling mentally. Also, I will be giving writing space for my family's book club book, as well as my crochet projects and other things that happen while living at the farm this summer. 

Today is the 20th of May, and I am sitting at one of those power outlet bars with bar stool seating waiting at the United gate at MSP. It is a clear blue day, a great day for flying. The clearness of the day fills me with the excitement of doing something new this summer as a way of living before my Junior year of college. Along with the excitement comes a friend with the anxious energy of starting something new. 

I question why I am nervous. I have been working at this farm now, for four semesters at least once a week. Is it maybe that instead of two hours and now I am going to work for 8 ish hours every day and try to train for my upcoming race season? Who knows. 

Now let me introduce the farm, littleGrasse FoodWorks, and how I came to live there this summer. littleGrasse was started 13 years ago by Bob Washo in Canton, New York. My freshman fall class had a community-based learning, CBL, element as part of the class. I was placed at littleGrasse and worked there for that semester. Bob and I would chat about a lot of different things but he would love to hear the newest dirt and gossip of the ski team. He used to be the assistant coach for many years before he decided to step back from coaching. 

After my fall semester, Bob would text me periodically asking about my ski season. Then he asked if I would like to come back during the spring semester to be an unofficial TA for that CBL group and or come and help out on Saturdays in the morning. I agreed, and the rest is history. Then this past winter race season Bob reached out to let my friends know about an opportunity to live on the farm and help out. Then he asked me to be the summer apprentice this summer. 

Now here I am after only a week of being home in the Twin Cities and Hayward Wisconsin leaving to head back to the farm to learn about agriculture and live a new way of life.  

I am at gate E15 waiting for the first leg of my flight to Charlotte, North Carolina writing this entry while listening to Soul Asylum's song Stand Up and Be Strong from my favorites playlist. A great pre-race song, but also a reminder to all that even though you struggle if you stay strong this too shall pass. Unlike when Gandalf slams his staff and sword on the bridge in the Mines of Moria shouting at Shadow, a Balrog, "You shall not pass!" in the Fellowship of the Ring Lord of the Rings movie. 

Alrighty now I am in North Carolina. The flight was a little bumpy but not too bad. Started reading my new book, the covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. After the first chapter, I started to fall asleep so I slept. 

But before my flight, I had a lovely conversation with my row mate who lives in Florida and was visiting family in Woodbury. She introduced me to a new snack that I have to buy when I am in VT at Trader Joe's before camp. It was one of those natural conversations that happened automatically. It was a cool conversation, and at the end, she said that we were meant to sit together because she had hesitated to join a reading club. After seeing my book, she made her declaration of her decision to join a book club. 

Now here I am writing as I am taxing to take off to Philadelphia. I look around my flight and see people playing games, sleeping, and reading. For the books, I can not see the titles but I want to find out what people are reading. 

Let’s now shift to future travelers and to future me!

My flight from North Carolina to Philadelphia was delayed and now it is 10:30 PM and I am at the Marriott hotel restaurant. Here is my story:

We landed in Philly and turned my phone off of airplane mode. I get off my plane and in tears and anxiety running high, I run to the farthest terminal. Thankfully I am an endurance athlete. But to save time I took the shuttle. Earlier I received a text saying that I missed my flight and to call the number to rebook my flight. So after I get to the terminal and gate I call the number to rebook my flight. Once on the phone, I got a new ticket for the next morning. Then I asked what I should do about my carry-on bag. But the advice the person is advice I wish I never followed and advise others to do the same. If the person says to go claim your luggage don't because you will end up in the mess I am in. 

Because I was told to go claim my luggage I left the airport. This led to many conversations with various ticket agents who try to help me get out. But come to find out later that because of the 30-minute delay caused by air traffic control travelers won't get a voucher because it is not the airline's fault. So at 10, I get to the Marriott hotel restaurant to eat dinner which lead me to learn that it was air traffic control's fault that I was delayed and missed my flight.

11:14 in the B terminals in Philadelphia