Life (unsettled)

The highest compliment ever paid to me was when my 10th grade English teacher, after I had undoubtedly done something which wasn't quite within the rules, took me by the shoulders, shook me in exasperation and said "You are a free radical, Catherine." Today, when choosing a font for my post I almost chose one simply because it was called "unkempt." The second greatest night of my life (I'm not sure what the first greatest night was but I'm sure something better than the following has to have happened in my life time) was when three separate people called me a "free spirit". In one night!! The reason this is so exciting is because I feel like that title sums up well the inner turmoil I feel at mediocrity and the mundane but that I do well to hide on a daily basis. Here is a list of some of my greatest fears pertaining to the subject:

List of Greatest Fears Pertaining to the Subject

1. 9am-5pm
2. cubicles
3. No windows
4. Too much air conditioning

For these reasons, in 5 days, myself and a dear friend- Julia, are leaving the country for the adventure of our lives. The plan is to spend a week in London and then fly to Dublin where we will spend 4 weeks working on 2 different organic farms. Through an international organization, WWOOF which connects volunteers with host farms, we'll be participating in various forms of organic farming in exchange for our room and board. We'll spend our first two weeks at Sunrise Farm doing daily yoga and gardening. The farm is located in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland in the Slieve Aughty mountains overlooking the 2nd largest lake in the country, Lough Derg.



The next two weeks will be at a farm which specializes in sheep and biodynamic practices. I know nothing of either but I'm excited to be learning and participating in things completely new to me. I'm predicting that sheep won't be my career choice but at least I'll be able to carry on an intelligent conversation about them to anyone that cares to discuss it with me upon my return.
In the middle of July, we'll leave Ireland for Paris and pick up the Eurail there to travel through France and Italy for a week or so in each country. This leg of our trip is pretty open-ended and unstructured, we'll be staying in hostels and doing whatever strikes our fancy (and fits our budget). First week of August we will (hopefully) be catching a flight out of Rome to come home. If I come home.

I chose the picture background for my blog because it reminds me of how misty and gray and melancholy I've always pictured that place in Ireland where the cliffs meet the sea. Holy cow! The following is my life's bucket list of things to do before I die:

Bucket List of Things to Do Before I Die

1. Make a music video like Kate Bush
2. See someone not look awkward while Happy Birthday is being sung at them.
3. Go to Ireland and see where the cliffs meet the sea.

Since I'm saving number 1 and 2 of my list for later in life, number 3 is literally the thing I am looking forward to the most about our trip.


Cliffs of Moher


Also, Julia and I will be keeping another blog, which is yet to be created, that will be food and people themed. Stay tuned!