Growing brands and vegetables

Throughout the last few years I grew uneasy with how I was living my life. It didn’t feel authentic to me and something had to change. I’ve had great jobs, amazing friends and plenty of hobbies, but there was an essential essence missing from my life which I couldn’t put my finger on.

Then in early 2022 I spent two weeks completing a course in permaculture design. And everything changed.

The course itself was amazing. I’d been interested in permaculture for over a decade, and finally scratching that itch was deeply satisfying in itself. As was learning about a complex and complete way of observing and interacting with the natural world. But what really blew my mind, and set me off on a totally new path was the act of living with and learning from twelve wonderful new friends over two weeks.

Every individual on the course was living a life full of permaculture adventure and challenge. What’s more, each of them brought with them a dream they wanted to achieve. It’s why they were on the course after all. Each day we spoke about these dreams with each other. Through the course we teamed up to take the first small steps towards our goals.

But I didn’t feel like I had brought my dream. At first I felt like an imposter (was I in the midst of a mid-life crisis?), but then I realised I found this course for a different reason. I needed inspiration to set off to find out what my dream was. Spending time with these new friends provoked a wealth of hope and enthusiasm to find the essential essence I was lacking in my life.

Which brings me to summer 2023. In the last two months I’ve left the city, moved to a farm near the Blue Mountains, started working part-time as a farm hand and continued working part-time in communications and marketing.

During the day I weed garden beds, pick vegetables, sow seeds and erect fences. In the evening I do the ‘office job’ from a blue shed which also doubles as my bedroom and kitchen. It’s as far from 2022 life as I could imagine, and it’s just about perfect.

And while this exact arrangement won’t last long, I’m ecstatic to be walking a new path. Inspired by the achievements of many new friends and old ones, this next year looks set to be a blend of growing brands and vegetables.