Week four - living on the land (in a caravan)

This post arrives slightly late after a busy week celebrating Thanksgiving, birthdays and commiserating the departure of two wonderful interns Bailey and Csilla. After a month it feels like the right time to describe my surroundings, not from the glittering joy of fresh eyes but with a sense of what it feels like to be here 24/7, living, working and being. 

My caravan is a little haven of Laura in the middle of the woods. The fairy lights and felt flowers were up within 5 minutes and the earwigs seemed pleased to meet me.  Down in the woods there is a small autonomous region of the farm known affectionately by us as caravanland.  Six little dwellings make their home here and up in the yard are more with enough facilities to warrant the title caravancity. We share a water supply which to date has not frozen (fingers crossed it will stay that way for a while yet) and I do have electricity which is enough to power the lights and a little oil radiator – together giving off a cosy little vibe, far away from the flat but certainly home.

I am missing my London significantly just now, but then it has been two months since we parted company. The siren chorus is a distant echo in my mind and the bustle seems a world away from the fields of Hertfordshire.  I miss the ever presence of places and faces old and new, pushing my little Goldy down the streets, the company and even the stress  (–which has paled into insignificance after cooking intern lunches) of throwing together a banquet for the book group gang.

In exchange though I now enjoy the most incredible constellations whenever we have clear skies, which (thank you beautiful nature) has been frequently since my arrival. Life has become so much more simple. I have the clothes I need to keep me warm and dry during the days and the blankets to feel cosy at night.  My ukulele keeps me company in the evenings (when I’m not in the pub)  my only significant luxury is the laptop I write to you now using, which also provides the comfort of a film or two on lonely evenings.

The farm is still welcoming and horticulture is certainly the right place for me. Slowly I am learning the names of the different salads we grow and finding my place in the team – at present a source of amusement as I continue to photograph the vegetables, for either their comedy or beauty, and wow are there lots of beautiful vegetables out there.  Next week I’ll pay a visit to the bright lights of the city and I hope it will welcome me with open arms and not seem a shocking mess after when juxtaposed with my current surroundings.