Potatoes, Pubs, and Possum

I am in Atherton, living at a traveller's lodge with 50 other people from all around the world! All are here to work the farms, as Australia grants a second-year visa to backpackers who work 88 days on a local farm. I am not sure that is what I am after, but I wanted the experience of working on a farm nonetheless...so here I am.

Atherton is a small country town in the Tablelands, beautiful lands with small mountains, rolling hills and miles and miles of farm land. After a long day's work on the potato fields, nothing is more satisfying than watching the sun set over the mountaintops as the tractor pulls us back to the shed.

I have been working on a potato harvester. Seriously. It is the dirtiest, most filthy job I have ever had; I come home COVERED in orange soot and find dirt in the strangest of places even after I've had a good shower. Atop the harvester, we are six girls, pulling the bad/rotten potatoes off the conveyor belt. It is pretty mindless work and makes for a boring, eight hour day, but it is satisfying. I mean, I never thought I'd be doing this! On my harvester are two French girls, a German, a girl from Israel, and one from Ireland. It makes for interesting breaks, hanging out and eating our sandwiches, talking about cultural differences and just life in general. It is truly the most amazing part of travel--I can never get enough of other people's stories.

In addition to potatoes, I have been working the local country pub. This is WAY different than my pub experience in Sydney--much more laidback and, well, local. The bar has been in the owner's family for generations, dating back to the 1800s, where boxing matches were held in its common area. It was used as a base for the Australian soldiers in World War II and is just oozing in personality and history. We have a great time on Friday nights, dancing to the loud music and hanging out with the local rugby players.

I have made some good friends here and will be sad to go, but I feel compelled to keep moving and see something new. I have met people who have been here for six months because they got "stuck" in what feels comfortable here; I don't want that to happen so I'll probably leave next week.

Until then, I will enjoy this unique experience, cooking Mexican feasts in the backyard for 30 house mates, learning Korean, and chasing opossum out of my room in the middle of the night.