Not "Where" but "Who" you're with...

The Silva Project would not exist if it were not for the volunteers that work here. Although they come in and out every couple months, there is always one to replace another—one door opening as another one closes, as they say. I believe this rotation keeps the place new and fresh—the animals have someone new to dote upon them, Mrs. Steen has someone new to talk to, the beds have new dreams, and the house has new laughter. Since I have been here, I have seen this rotation and this freshness more than once.

Earlier this week, Mrs. Steen’s distant niece Alexia moved out after being here for a month. Alexia is a tall, picturesque Greek woman with a thick British accent. She reminds me of all of the strong, charming British women in movies that I love and had an air about her that was fun and refreshing. Since she has left the dynamic in the group has changed. Since she worked at the farm, I guess I am technically her replacement, and I feel like I have replaced her in more ways than one—I have taken over her “project horse,” Captain, I am a farm hand, and I am more quiet and reserved like her than the other girls.
Two people are leaving on Sunday: Mark and Molly, who are a couple from America that have taken time to travel the world for the past year. They have worked here for almost 3 months, will be camping out in Italy for 2 weeks, and then moving to Sweden to run a spiritual camp of some kind. They are both free spirits that say that their life is an adventure. The pasts that they have are more interesting than about anyone’s past that I have heard of their age. Molly is 23, a graduate from a small arts college in Florida, who has spent the past two years living in hostels across the country that have lead her to meet intriguing people and live in unique situations which are not limited to building her own tree house and living in it. Each are quiet but easy to converse with, and obviously intelligent. They are truly citizens of the world.

Emily, who is a 21 year old from Ireland, is leaving next week. This girl has so much spunk and has showed us the town more than once, introducing us to her Greek friends and favorite bars as a way of keeping a legacy after she leaves. She is everything that one would imagine an Irish person to be. Her accent is hilarious, and I have had so much fun learning all of the Irish-isms that include but are not limited to, “Look at me poor wee feet!,” and, “Let’s go get pissed tonight!” I will definitely miss her vibrancy when she leaves, but I wish her the best as she becomes a dentist when she returns from her year off of school.

Katherine from New Mexico just arrived last night as Molly’s replacement at the farm (even though she has switched to work with the dogs as Mark’s replacement). She is very nice, intelligent, and funny, and I look forward to getting to know her in the upcoming month.

Amy arrived on the same plane with me completely by coincidence. She is blonde and tall, brash and fun-loving. She started off working on the dogs but has now switched to working at the farm with me because she has a lot of past experiences with horses. She keeps us all entertained when we go out together because loves to learn Greek and converse with Greeks about movies, food, and lifestyles. She will be here until the beginning of July, so I can’t wait to get to know her more.

David is a man from Washington State in his 70’s who works with the horses. Silvia noted that this is the first time that The Silva Project has had an older individual to volunteer, but truth be told, I think that David's love for the island and for the animals is apparent in all of the work that he does at the farm and around the house.

A guy named Bryan arrived a few nights ago from visiting home in the States for a few days. Although he spent a few extra nights in hotel lobbies and airport terminals and got permanently kicked out of Belgium in order to make it back here cheaply and in one piece, he arrived and immediately began dictating chores to the new volunteers. Since he has been here for over 9 months and is a pseudo employee, he has the right to do these things. He also holds some additional power because he has a car that can be used to drive to town, although I use the term “car” lightly. Really, this vehicle is a chunk of metal with four wheels. The windshield wipers are controlled by a lever in the dashboard, the passenger seat is kept in place by wire, the ceiling leaks every time it rains, there are holes that have been drilled in the floorboard to let out water from the leaky ceiling, and the car has to be hotwired every time you want to start it because the key broke off in the ignition a few months ago. But it is a set of wheels none-the-less that gets us from point A to point B in a crowded, semi-terrified few minutes.

Overall, this 200 year-old-house has seen more personalities and conversations than it can hold, and I am so glad to be a part of the variety of people that pass through here every year.