Day 30

Adıeu Yakabagh
Today is the last day at Yakabagh, and this entry marks the conclusion of my 30-day adventure at an organic farm.

Some people have asked me why I decided to do this, and its hard coming up with one answer. Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma had something to do with it, and so did a lingering distant history with lifestyles of the rural fabulous. I'd always heard growing up about how my parents were forced to do hard labor in Communist China, which fueled a remote curiosity about what that world was like. Throw in some idyllic American illusion about farms and the coolness of a farmer's tan, and voila! there's a recipe for a silly Chinese girl to abandon the comforts of modern living to try a month of farm life.

Looking back at these last four weeks, it's definitely been a journey. Week one had its fill of achy sore muscles. My body echoed a peculiar thought running through my mind - what the hell was I thinking when I signed up for farming?! Old Macdonald never had it this rough . It was all supposed to be E-I-E-I-O.

Luckily, I adjusted quickıly, and by week 4, I can look back at it all and say that I've had the fortunate opportunity to get a glimpse of rural Turkish village life, where the days are slow, the work is hard, the neighbors are friendly, and photosynthesis works at its finest.

To say the experience has been life changing would be an overstatement. Then again, it's hard to tell how much any life experience impacts you until the backdrop changes, the plane lands and deposits an eager Chinese girl who attempts to turn her parent's rock garden into an apricot orchard.

That said, this experience was incredibly memorable and has reinforced my conviction that life is too short not to share it with the people you care about. Thanks everyone for following along on this journey, and special thanks to B for being so supportive. Can't wait to see you next week so I can show off my new farmer arms! As they say in Turkey, güle güle!