Chapter five: finding balance during the wine festival week
Week five started exactly the way it should: full of energy, zero chance of boredom, and a strong feeling that sleep is optional when life is this good. At this point, expectations are completely useless. Nobody imagined that a normal week could include fires in the distance, endless cooking sessions, late-night swims, spontaneous adventures, rain dancing, long walks, shared showers, unexpected hairstyle changes, and a constant sense of “are we really living this?”
How would you describe your mood during the 5th week here?
Costin: balanced
Miguel: happily unstable
EmJ: grateful and present
Emily: being free
Manu: feel at home
Arda: https://youtu.be/UYLrafZeYWQ?feature=shared
Manti: excited and fulfilled
Gabriele: high on life
Marian: spectacular
Clemence: amazing
Daisy: very occupied and enjoyable
Naiara: memorable
our new adopted member from ACARBIO long-term volunteers – Marit: bad sleep, but still feeling free
“Imagine hiking a mountain with a full backpack. It’s tiring but exciting. You discover new things and face unexpected situations, sometimes risky. You even meet a fox along the way. You keep going because you want to see more. You can’t believe this is actually happening to you. You had expectations… but this is something else.” – Oceane
Conclusion? We feel AH-MA-ZING.
One of the biggest moments of the week was helping at La Festa del Vino, one of the main events connected to our project. Everyone was excited to take part, and we jumped straight in. We sang with Luigi, peeled an impressive amount of potatoes, chopped vegetables with the enthusiastic help of some very loud and very energetic kids from Tramonti, and prepared ingredients for traditional dishes.
Wearing matching T-shirts and assigned different roles, we worked hard, but not without enjoying the atmosphere. Music, laughter, shared jokes, and the occasional moment of spontaneous dancing reminded us that work and celebration can coexist very well.
The next day was dedicated to rest and keeping an eye on the wildfire situation, which fortunately remained under control. Soon enough, it was time to get back to work: preparing the walls at the kindergarten entrance for painting in the upcoming sixth week. Rain joined us, but it didn’t slow us down.
We cooked together, danced outside, jumped into puddles, and later warmed up together, because apparently that’s just how we do things now.
Still not tired enough, we walked to Pietre and back to join Notte della Pizza. Great food, live music, a medieval parade, and a stage that somehow kept attracting volunteers made the night unforgettable. Let’s just say the energy was high and the memories even higher.
Despite the packed schedule, we always find time to explore, either alone or in small groups, and to keep falling in love with the Amalfi Coast, over and over again.
Stay tuned for next (and last.. how?!) week’s news on our adventures. There is not much time left, but we will for sure keep living it to the fullest while we still have the chance!
Your beloved Make it Green volunteers