Appreciation of the simplicity of life in Nelson and how it feels to be ignored

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My wwoofing place was quite high up in the forest which means in the mountains. It was possible to go to the town in Nelson but it was also quite a workout.

Quite a workout to go down and up the mountain to downtown Nelson. Bat the view is priceless and often I got a lift from someone.

I was often very lucky that someone gave me a lift down or up. Well, the people here are very friendly and open.

Both were in their 70s which I had never reckoned with because they looked quite young and were still working. They both studied psychology and she did some retreats worldwide. He used to work as psychologist, They had also two children: Violet (31) and Clark (29).

When Sarah and I arrived both of them were at home. With them we drove later to a forest to save it against building a winter resort there. But this is another story...

I had almost everything what I needed at my wwoofing place: food, water, nature, tons of books, a nice wwoofing partner and interesting chats with her. Our hosts were for two weeks not at home so we did our tasks and had time also for different things.

Therefore I didn't go that often to downtown. It was an one hour walk to town and one and a half hour up from town. I did it maybe three or four times during my 4 weeks stay.

My wwoofing place. Everything what I needed was there.

So beautiful and harmonic especially when Sarah and I were alone at the property.

The most of our food came from the garden on the plate. We had so much to harvest that our hosts started to can pears, some peaches and pickled cucumbers. And not to forget the tons of tasty tomatoes.

Pickled cucumbers. So easy and so delicious.

Beans and tomatoes from the garden with real taste :-).

I enjoyed it a lot to spent the most of the time outside in the garden. Because the place was in the forest and had a lot of food it was a paradise for animals like chipmunks, birds and snakes...

This little chipmunk is living like a king in a paradise. Lots of food and  sunflower seeds. They weren't shy at all. One came very closely to me  when I was reading a book in the garden.

Have a look in the right corner at the cellar window... There is Mrs Snake trapped. I really fear snakes but I took it as chance to face my fear and took this photo. But I was standing on a chair as you can see due to my shadow...  My brother wrote me:"Years ago you had just said the word 'snake' by standing on a chair..." ;-) Actually I helped the poor Mrs and put a wooden plank in the hole so that it could climb out. By the way it was a friendly one. A so-called garden snake.

Very nice wwoofing partner

It was the first time that I worked with another helper at a place and I was very happy about it: Sarah from Canada.

We arrived on the same day and later left on the same day which wasn't planned but due to some things happened I left earlier. We were in the same age. She was on a turning point in her life and me as well.

Well, I think everything happens for a reason and that we met each other was a great inspiration for me to the right time. Her knowledge was really impressive. She learnt a lot of things on her own and was interested in a lot of different things. A very intelligent and nice young woman.

I could really great work with her. In addition we did almost every day Yoga together which was great.
Sarah did on our arrival day Tarot card reading with me, That was her occupation and she does it great. What came up was very surprisingly for me or rather not. It was a general overview and the things she said were absolutely true. I mean she didn't know me at that time.

It shows me how great her understanding for people is and the cards help her a bit. She did on one day a more deeper reading and that made me cry. I just asked which pattern I need to release in order to progress along my path.

She told me that it was my perfectionism and that I am pretty hard to myself. Also that I collect achievements but don't harvest them. But also I was still on the right path. So helpful for me would be to give myself more love and kindness...

Wow, believe it or not everything what she told me was right and the truth can be hard sometimes.

Before we left she did another one for me which was a big one and gave me even more great advice.

For me it was great to hear it and it gave me some impulses for myself and things I can work on. But it took me a couple of days to think about it.

After it I opened more and more up and came closer to the answer who I really am. However, it gave me a boost of creative energy which I used for my next steps and my further path.

The bark mulch situation

One week Sarah and I were alone at the house. Our hosts told us that someone would come and bring the bark mulch. I heart loud noise, went out and saw a big truck.

A elder small guy with a very crumby looking face came out of the truck: "If I had knew that it was so far up in the forest, I wouldn't come..." Ah OK...

I said friendly "Hello" and tried to make some jokes... I showed him where he should put the bark mulch.

He looked very suspicious around and when we reached the meditation temple and he saw some tends he just asked:"What are you guys doing here?!" "Well... meditation and stuff..." It was actually a very funny situation. I wonder what he was thinking ;-)

Obviously he couldn't go up with his truck. So we took another place which meant that it would be more work for us to bring the bark mulch up...

In the meantime Sarah joined me and we watched the guy putting the bark mulch down. I quickly ran into the house and took one of the jars with canned pears. When the guy was finished to take his check we gave him the jar and thanked him for coming all the way up. He smiled and went. :-)

Funny was that after he left I found the four-leaved-glove in the garden. We were watching the truck driving away and I saw the glove.

Smart cheeky bastard

One evening I sat in the armchair when suddenly Sarah screamed very loud. I shrugged. She said that she saw something which was quite big and disappeared under the fridge...

I took my head torch and looked under the fridge. First I couldn't see anything but I could hear noise.
I looked up to Sarah and looked again under the fridge and then I jumped almost back.

I saw straight in a rat face! Actually it looked very cute but still it was not nice to have a rat in the house. Sarah checked on Google and it turned out it was a pack rat. Very smart guys by the way. We called Clark that he should do something.

Well, he came with an old shotgun... Anyway, we couldn't catch the rat. It ran away downstairs and disappeared.

We set out a trap. But the smart guy let a mice (yes, there were also mice) the try and ate the food from the trap.

Well, the cheeky guy came one evening again into the kitchen when Sarah and I were sitting in the living room reading. It walked in as if it was the most normal thing in the world...

We couldn't find it in the kitchen. So we just laid tin foil on the ground so that we could here it. But it seemed to be very patient... So we tried it again with a trap.

Well, on the next morning we found the little guy in the trap. I felt actually very sorry and was also impressed that it was quite big. It might be a bit morbid that I took a photo.

I know it is  very morbid.... But I was very surprised how big it was.

Second date a la Brazil on a sunny day

I met my Brazilian friend again the next weekend. It was a beautiful sunny day. I went first to the Farmers Market when he sent me a text when I would be ready.

He came with his van to the meeting point. I went smiling to him when he came out of his van. I have to admit that I wasn't sure how to greet him. So I just tried to gave him a huge which was a bit awkward because he wanted to give me a kiss. Well, that was also nice and made it a bit easier.

He asked me what I wanted to do and I said lets go to the lake and relax there. So we drove to the lake and found a very beautiful place at the lake and just enjoyed the nice sunny weather and talked about different things.

He asked me if I wanted to find a place in Nelson after wwoofing and my Yoga teacher training. I just said that I didn't know yet what I will do. All is open.

Enjoying the beautiful sunny day at the lake.  By the way my feet are the dark ones. Spain did a good job :-).

After a while we headed back to his van. He suggested that we could have a great ice cream. Oh yes! I would like to.

On our way to it he said: "You are very simple." I first wasn't sure if it was positive or negative. He said it is nice because I liked simple things and not very fancy stuff.

Yes, that is right. Well, a guy can impress me more with intelligence, open-mind and creativity instead of a fancy car, expensive watch (I wouldn't recognize anyway) or what ever.

After the ice cream he drove me up the mountain close to my hosts place. We said goodbye with nice kisses and he asked if he could visit me at my hosts place and said he could bring bikes with him that we do a tour.

I said of course and that it would be nice. So he drove down the mountain and I enjoyed a bit longer the view over Nelson before I headed back.

Enjoying the nice view over Nelson.

We were a bit in contact per text message after our second date. For some reason I didn't get an answer to my last two texts in which I asked how he was doing.

First I thought what was wrong with me and what did I wrong? Then I feared if I am in downtown that I could see him with another girl and I would be then look like an idiot...

So I took myself back and decided that neither nothing is wrong with me nor with him. For sure is that everything always changes in life and nothing is controllable. So if everything changes anyway, then attachment is obviously waste of time.

Therefore I changed my thoughts to positive ones. It was very nice to meet him and I enjoyed it a lot. He was very talented and self-driven which impressed me. I honestly wish that everything is well for him.

A week later I deleted our text conversation and his phone number. I have to admit that it was more a self-defense so I wouldn't check in a weak moment if he was on WhatsApp...

Many lessons and tests

So I learnt a lot during my first 4 weeks in Nelson. I came closer to myself and my creative side, learnt what Ego means and what that means for me and how important it is to bring myself in a healthier mood if things around are challenging.

I see all the experiences as tests for me and where I stand. I am glad that I had this opportunities even I needed a bit to feel good.

I am very happy that I met Sarah. I think we both learnt a lot at this place and from each other. Isn't it interesting that we came at the same date and stayed for the same period of time...?

During my stay I got a creative boost and started to set my ideas into two new projects. Both are something what comes from my heart.

One is the step into the direction to bring my trainer skills and my experiences from my journey together. The other one is something I got the idea during my stay at Anne's magical place in the mountains of Spain.

I think both projects will be very great and valuable for everyone. I will keep you up to date about them.

Read next time about my adventure in the wildness where I tried with Sarah and some friends to save a forest and their Grizzly bears for building a ski resort. Like my friend from Muenster wrote: very good, very eco, very right! We went there during our stay at our wwoofing place for 4 days.

Five friends for four days 32 km in the wildness of Canada without any civilization around us... It was a great experience and I felt even more connected with nature!

Thank you for reading my story! :-)

She is also very connected with nature... ;-)