Wine Country (Splendid Art)

Wine Tasting at Yangarra Estate Vineyard

Goodbye and Farewell University of Sydney.  

It was a wild ride with friends gained and experiences never to be forgotten. This goodbye was sprinkled with a sense of accomplishment in jumping into a new curricular that pushed me to learn differently and grow through a foreign academic terrain. My last exam at USYD was for my law and contemporary society class on a striking morning that represented the grandeur of law. Just like the law, my time at USYD followed the rules of my own character along with the emotional and situational factors that caused me to reevaluate my own rules and what I wanted to accomplish with my life.

My last glance at USYD turned into the view of a clear blue sky as I flew above the clouds and into one the friendliest places on earth, known as Adelaide, South Australia.

Adelaide

November 12^tjh

Ellie and I traveled to this wonderful city of friendly folks in aims of exercising our bravery through WWOOFING.

Willing Workers On Organic Farms, aka WWOOF, is a program that allows those willing to work 4-6 hours a day the chance to travel and discover new environments and cultures on a budget. In exchange for working on an organic farm, the host family provides all meals and accommodation along with additional perks (i.e. educational lessons, farming techniques, scenic tour) depending on the hostess.

After receiving our membership, Ellie and I searched through every participating host farm in South Australia to gauge what we thought would be the best fit. We knew we wanted to get the most out of our time in Australia and had both never been to the south. After days of researching and email threads we finally decided on two farms – an organic oyster farms 9 hours away from Adelaide and an organic vineyard 45 minutes away from the city.

Ellie and I checked into our Youth Hostel Accommodation (YHA) - an affordable, friendly and clean hostel that I recommend for those wanting to travel around Aus.- and explored Adelaide for the day. We fell in love with the slow and lazy pace of the city and could hardly fathom the kindness of the people of Adelaide. People, left and right, willing to direct us wherever we wanted to go and make friendly small talk in exchange for nothing but a smile it seemed. Why were these Adelaideins so friendly? Was it the peaceful way of life in the south? Or the feelings of warmth only a community of do-gooders and pure hearts can expose? It was neither. Well, maybe it was a little of both. The people we encountered were kind to us because that’s exactly who they are. They weren’t putting on a show or trying to gain anything in return, rather, they were exercising the inner workings of their greatest talent in being themselves.

And that, that in itself is the definition of what it means to be human.

That day in Adelaide was filled with an enriching balance of local creamy gelato paired with the sweetness of compassion surrounding me and my humble existence.

Churning Butter

Plans fall apart so better experiences can fall into place.

Ellie and I trotted to the bus station with the guidance from an elderly man who enjoyed exerting loud and long winded conversations with anyone willing to listen. Bless his heart.

As it turned out, the bus fair to and from Angel Oysters would cost $275 and a long bus ride of an estimated 20 hours in total. We felt defeated. We had traveled all the way to South Australia to work on an oyster farm to experience work that would provide us with knowledge, personal challenges and growth through experience. We sat down in the hard chairs of the bus station with no plan and limited funds. Some would call this a fork in the road, a speed bump, a barrier hindering our aims. I call it, churning butter.

Just like butter, the most rewarding experiences are produced by a mixture of ingredients such as obstacles and triumphs. After a long exertion of physical and intellectual power of the one churning the materials, the smooth and silky butter is produced. Otherwise known as a golden reward that can be used to enhance the taste of other foods or future experiences.

Just like that fresh butter, Ellie and I used this golden obstacle to think on our feet, move on, and be optimistic for the future. We called The Yangarra Estate Vineyard in hopes of being able to arrive early to WWOOF. As fate would have it, our wwoofing host would be in Adelaide the next day picking up supplies (and us).

We couldn’t have been more grateful. All we had to do was tough out the churn to create an experience dictated not by ourselves but by the forces of an unplanned direction.

Home is a Concept, Heart is Constant

November 13^th

To make the most out of our day, Ellie and I decided to educate ourselves about aboriginal culture at the Museum of South Australia before our WWOOFing host (Peter) came to pick us up and drive us to the vineyard.

We enjoyed the taxidermy of various animals and later broke off to explore aboriginal, contemporary and Asian art separately.

A painting of an aboriginal from all angles 

As I read about the aboriginal culture and how they once lived, I felt close to the people and their way of life. Their simplicity of living and the constant struggle to survive and fight off danger seemed exhilarating yet terrifying. Although living off of the Australian land alone would provide a strong connection to mother earth, I couldn’t possibly fathom living only for survival. While finding solace in nature is the goal, there must be a balance in finding joy in educational pursuits such as learning the art of philosophy or arithmetic. While their natural instincts were magnificent, they still yearned to learn the art and theoretical world (as shown through aboriginal art). 

The meat of the matter is, they too were curious. Curious for life beyond survival and a constant urge to feel connected to the dirt that kept them alive.

Their home was a concept. A place where they could find nourishment and shield themselves from danger. A notion of security.

But their heart, oh their heart, was a constant. An unceasing tie of heart and land where they found solace through the grounds of creation.

Yangarra Estate Vineyard (WWOOF)

November 13^th – 27^th

The Vineyard

Yangarra Estate Vineyard is a “biodynamic wine farm” located in Kangarilla, South Australia.

Row after row of green luscious vines, ready to prosper into maturity and be picked off by the harvester. A sight for the appealing eye that could only invoke feelings of amity and wonder. 

How fortunate were we? 

We received the opportunity to work in wine country, to breathe the fresh scent of soil, and to feast our eyes upon the rustic state of natural infinity.

We ended up setting home base with Peter in his humble abode located on the winery.

Our duties were far from what we expected. Again, an unplanned direction. Although disappointed to not have been able to pick the grapes from the vine (Harvest is in February) we were fortunate to have learned about ourselves through other sorts of manual labor.

A list of tasks accomplished

• -          Feed hay to the horses at 7 A.M. and 6 P.M. During the evenings, mix a variety of grains, salts, and so forth for Peter’s horses.
• -          Place rugs on the horses depending on the weather. Choose from different rugs for different weather conditions
• -          Feed dogs a balanced meal each evening and feed cats
• -          Haul sticks to burn pile
• -          Weed and fill holes with manure
• -          Domestic house duties (weed, mow, weed wack, laundry, dishes etc.)
• -          Spread wood chips in the garden

While the weather was bipolar our feelings of affection for our temporary stay were stagnant.

Dealing with the bipolar weather of thunderstorms to sunshine

As a native Californian, Mexican food is a lifeblood and a part of life. In Australia, it is not.

The alternative, “Family meals” every night that mostly consisted of Mexican food made by two young girls who played chef and a man who could actually cook.

In addition to the food, the beverages were superb. Although not a fan of red wine, Peter’s red wine was the most flavorful I have ever tasted.

Oh the perks of life.

As a reward for working with the horses, Peter saddled me up on one of his favorite horses (Katie) and we went for a ride along the endless rows of vineyard.

I enjoyed feeling powerful yet powerless on the back of an athlete who could knock me down to the dirt or build my adrenaline high.

Kisses 

Watching the rows of vine through the guiding light of sunshine was a spectacle of beauty for those with an appreciation for the unalloyed elements of soil and water.

To some visitors, Yangarra Estate Vineyard represented nothing but a means to wine – a necessary component but not the main attraction.

To me, the vineyard was a splendor of art.

It is a fruit of wine and chemistry. A tedious but rewarding job for those with pallet. A way of life. 

Just like the aboriginals, the vine tenders connected to the dirt that provided a platform for growth not only for the vines but for those willing to dig the soil and dig life. 

It’s Melbourne Mate!

November 1 – 5

Travel with your heart.

Let it be filled with endless experiences.

For one day you will grace the earth with its bursting seams.

Lately, I have been obsessed with inspirational travel quotes, always seeking new and poetic words to fill my changing wallpaper, to remind myself of whom I am and why I do. As I sit here in this plastic and cold chair in a dimly lit corner of the library, I can’t help but think, “Why do I search for quotes to explain my travels? They don’t define my experiences but lightly murmur the surface feel.” 

Therefore, I have decided to quote myself – as shown above. I believe there is a poet inside all of us. It is hidden but always present. The difficulty is in pulling those experiences and translating them into a few words that punch the gut of the reader and send ripples down the spine and electric shocks to the heart.

The poet arouses the sentimentalism and brings the emotionally dead to life. She is the mirror to her own adventure and the vicariously lived. So don’t be surprised if she often stares, facing her own adrenaline, daring it to grow a thickening layer of maturity to coat her naïve heart.

Although far from a poet, I am a young woman with an adventurous spirit, always thirsting for growth through travel and an exigency to lengthen that growth through reflection.

Dear Day One: A Strange Endearing City

My latest escapade with my best mate (Cristal McClure) was to the breathtaking city of Melbourne (literally breathtaking, since I caught a bug that made it hard to breathe between coughing fits).

Melbourne, a city paved in art and filled with cute cafes and delicious coffees. The city is quite large with sidewalks that double in width and buildings that tower overheard. Although a vast city, there seemed to be a small disproportionate amount of people filling the streets. In other words, a large city with not a lot of people. I digged it. I enjoyed walking the near empty streets with my mate, getting lost within the parameters of the district and the constructs of my own mind.

Melbourne

We explored the streets and watched the people, one of our favorite pass times and method of growing comfortable in a new place. The day was spent on foot at a ground perspective, as Cristal and my adventures usually are. We stumbled across a digital arts type museum and a Nepal festival that aimed to preserve the Nepali cultures. Cristal and I enjoyed the art and farmers markets while appreciating the chilly weather in comparison to the heat of Sydney. We ate out and feasted on the delicious food Melbourne had to offer: a pastry snack from a local bakery, a grilled sandwich in a cobblestone backstreet littered with cafes, and a hot bowl of pho from a Vietnamese restaurant we couldn't possibly pass up.

Thanks to the kindness of a mate Cristal met during a case competition at the University of Washington, we stayed with her and her boyfriend outside the city along the water. The apartment was beautiful and the hospitality of Nicole and Alex was beyond what we could have ever asked for.

If this day taught me anything it’s that genuine compassion and heart span beyond the cold walls of evil that surround the selfish and spread light on our natural human tenderness. A city may just be a concrete jungle to some, but it is much more than that. It is a place where diversity festers and communication between cultures never stop. It is a platform for travel where the only limitations are the ones you put on yourself. People are inherently good; it’s just searching far enough and long enough to realize how kind communities choose to be.

Thanks Melbourne.

Although the city provided us with an outlet to feast on our curiosity, we wanted more. Something was missing and that something would become the most memorable and important part of our trip – the natural world.

Dear Day Two: You Are Magnificent (The Twelve Apostles and Great Ocean Road)

The Twelve Apostles

Sea salt, clear skies, white beaches, one winding road.

The long and winding road…. Yes, the start of a song and an overused metaphor that has been “metaphored” to death. We are all guilty of it. I am guilty. But in this case, the road played a crucial role in facilitating a pathway to beauty.

The road trip

Cristal and I booked a Great Ocean Road tour for our second day in Melbourne. Our day commenced at 6:00 A.M. and ended at 9:30 P.M. 

The tour consisted of morning tea along the beach with new mates, koala and bird watching, a pleasant walk through a forest and the main attraction, the Twelve Apostles.

Based off the shore of Port Campbell National Park in Victoria, Australia, the Twelve Apostles (Eight are left), stand tall against the crashing Pacific waves and frothy white water. The comparison of rigid cliff and smooth sand provide two drastically different perspectives of beauty that coexist in complementation.

I stared in awe, feeling as if I too could be a pillar. A pillar of strength and resilience to keep standing no matter what tribulations come my way. Just like those magnificent limestone stacks, I felt the roots of divinity and the power of physical existence.

Dear Day Three: A Race to the Finish (Melbourne Cup 2014)

Cristal and I at the races

“We’re those people”

Hello Flemington Racecourse. The journey to the stadium was no easy task. Instead of taking a cab, limousine, or helicopter, as most of the fans seemed to have arranged, Cristal and I decided to work our legs and walk to the Race Course in our fancy ($15) dresses and floppy sun hats. Being the economical travel buddies that we are, we wanted to save some cash and enjoy the hour or so walk to the races. We ended up walking next to a highway, speeding under overpasses trying not to get hit. 

We cracked a couple jokes and laughed the way there although having sore feet and tired arms from holding our hats down against the rushing winds.

As soon as we arrived to the outskirts of the racecourse, we knew we would be in for an interesting experience that we would take with us back to the states.

We walked through the gates under a tunnel of blossoming roses and sunshine peeking through grey clouds. The people were dressed in their fanciest attire. Men wearing well fitted suits and shiny shoes and women wearing colorful intricate dresses and matching hats.

Some of the spectators at the race dressed up in their finest attire

Champagne and blended cocktails was the drink (and meal) of choice for most gathered at the stadium, waiting for the horse races to begin.

Cristal and I took our place among the “general seaters” on the grass and positioned ourselves right next to the railing that blocked us from the athletic horses and jockeys. The announcer tuned on the loud speaker and the horses gathered in their stalls. The gun was shot and the race was off. We saw them racing on the big screen as the crowd went wild. The horses finally appeared from the distance as the ground started to shake from the speedy race to the finish. They zoomed past us in the matter of a split second with a wind that caught my hair and fluttered the strands until coming to a dramatic halt. People all around jumped in their fanciest attire and spilt their drinks while cheering for their favorite horse, hoping for some kind of payoff for their calculated bets. The horses, bolted past the finish line with the jockeys whipping them sore. They crossed… and another race would presume.

Start, Repeat, Start, Repeat.

The Melbourne Cup would become an event we would never forget. I don’t think I will ever be able to forget the picture of the wealthy and those pretending to be out of my mind. I felt fortunate to have attended and been a part of a historical event that is Australia’s most popular race. But I realized who I am is not what others would want to be. Most people I have come across are in a frantic race, a race to the finish line of wealth and prosperity. Money. Money is the goal and money is the motivation behind the step. To me, money is a means, not a lifestyle. I realized the depths of my values and the disgust I find in superficial living. People, never wanting to challenge themselves and pursue their passions for the greater good out of fear of failing without a security net of funds to catch them. But then, what’s the fun in knowing the ending when the best part is not knowing where you’ll end up?

The experience taught me life and sport. Two horses died that day, one from over training and another from a wound acquired during the race. After learning about the devastating deaths I decided to do some research on horse racing in relation to Australia and the world. Like any business, this business had its skeletons in the closet. I felt ashamed. How could I have participated in a sport that encouraged animal abuse? Although feeling guilty, I felt grateful for the event and all that it taught me. If we hadn’t attended, I would have never thought to research and find my standing ground on the controversial issue of horse racing.

The day concluded with a laugh and a sigh in growing together as mates and taking part in a new found knowledge of who we are and why we travel.

Because it is never a race to the finish, but a ride along the contours of experience and integrity in being exactly who you are.