Just Pickin Greens

PHILADELPHIA

Well, almost 9 days, over 3,000 miles and mountains, deserts, canyons, plains, cities and really really small towns I have arrived back in “The City that Loves You Back” ( yes they changed it from the “City of Brotherly Love”). At first I was a bit freaked out. Philadelphia is HUGE. The first curve on I76 around a small hill in Fairmount Park when the city comes into view was very very overwhelming. “Fuck!” I thought, “What have I done, coming back”. Jamie and Katharine were blown away. They seemed to cringe and stiffen up when they saw the tall brightly lit skyscrapers and I suddenly found myself looking out at this city from their eyes…I was freaked out too!

We got off the highway, pulled onto the Ben Franklin Parkway and right in front of us, towering so majestically was City Hall. My heart grew warm and everything shifted. Even Katharine and Jamie’s fear transformed into awe.  I became extremely excited and instead of driving right to my house i decided to take myself and especially my two companions on a tour of the city I will now call home for some time. We circled around city hall, drove down the boulevard known as broad street, passed the place where it all started for me at the University of the Arts. I showed them Pat’s and Geno’s, The Italian Market, the old and beautiful homes of society hill and what would a tour of Philadelphia be without a  pass of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall! We concluded our journey at the tall row home and large backyard that I will eat, sleep, read, poop, laugh, cry and grow food in for what I hope is a long period of time

I spent the last seven months on Barking Moon Farm, toiling in the dirt, growing food and thinking all the time about this Philadelphia place. Images flashed through my head all summer of these places that I was suddenly seeing once more with my very own eyes. It was very much like a vivid dream. Those images in my head all summer were now a reality, I was home and I had a lot to look forward to.

Although our journey was sad, exciting, long and tiring it is so good to be back and have ground my feet recognize, people that my heart remember and space where my soul can stand still, grow roots and come spring grow vivid and nourishing food for all!

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