Dream Job at the Seaside Farm

A month ago, I wrote in this blog that I might come back to the Seaside Farm (http://www.seasidealaska.com) in Homer. So, here I am! I have been here exactly for a week now and am planning to stay for another ten days or so. It feels nice to stay in one place and have my own room after traveling around so much. I am working for a couple of hours per day and get free accommodation in return. The first day, I got to do some weeding, one of my favorite tasks! And I became so greedy - not for money but for the result! I just could not stop because I kept finding more weeds all the time. According to Mossy, the lovely old lady who owns the place, me and my friends were the most dedicated workers she has ever had. Because I grew up on a farm and have some experience with animals, although very limited, I was brave enough to go and work on a meadow with a bull, cow and calf. My new CouchSurfer friends from Poland weeded another field. I was a bit afraid of the bull, too, but it was such a moving scene when I saw the bull gently licking a side of the cow, and the calf was lying in the grass close to its parents.

At the moment, I am mainly cleaning rooms, cabins and the hostel, and helping customers to check in. There is not much to say about the cleaning work; I hate the dust and enjoy making beds that have sheets and pillow cases with matching colors and patterns. The textiles with flowers look so romantic in the old house (which is even a bit run down) and cute little cabins. Every time I walk down to clean the two beach cabins, I realize that I am in love with this place. Behind the sea, there are majestic mountains and a glacier.

Before coming here, I imagined I would have plenty of time to do my own things, such as write a school report, find an apartment in Paris for next winter, and read books. But all the time, such interesting people come to stay here that I cannot just go to my room and be alone. This is my dream job - I get to talk with people and practice my language skills. Mossy said that everybody likes me: the customers say that "the girl" is so adorable. I wonder how long you have to work at a hostel before you get tired of meeting new people all the time. Anyhow, it was my second day here when a truly fascinating Swiss family arrived: Dario and Sabine Schwörer have been sailing around the world and climbing the highest peaks for twelve years, but what is more, they have had four children along the way!! This, if anything, proves that it is possible to travel with children. Anything is possible if you really want to do it and work hard enough to make it possible! (Sounds like the American dream..?) The family also goes to schools to teach about environmental issues. More about their life and mission on their webpage: http://toptotop.org/.

It was the Swiss Independence Day on August 1, and the family wanted to celebrate it with a campfire. In the following photo, you can see two volunteers who work on the boat and some of the children of the Schwörer family:

Then we had two Canadian motorcyclists with whom I could practice my French and who gave me a lot of halibut after going on a fishing trip. Mmmmm, what a delicious dinner!

Last night, an Australian band called Red Stone Sinners stayed at our lodge. Their accent was awesome! They had a gig in a local pub, and I went to see it. At the bar, I also met Mossy's old class mate from decades ago (not the man in the front, but the one with long hair). Small town, everybody knows each other...