Cabin Fever

Nearing the end of the season, there's a complicated vibe within camp. On the one hand it was great to see the guys who have been working in Minnesota and Kansas while we were in Canada (it's been over a month, so there's been plenty of catching up). However we've squeezed everyone into the 8-bed camper, making our living situation quite claustrophobic. At the start of the season, this was a novelty but after five months on the road I think everyone is a bit over it.

It makes me appreciate the unique lifestyle that I've been living (and herein lies the essence of custom harvesting: it is a lifestyle not an occupation). Ten guys from varying backgrounds, of varying personalities and nationalities, have worked together, lived together and socialised together for five months. Often the isolation of the places that we are working makes it difficult to find personal space, something that I am craving more and more as we approach the finish line.

To try and paint a picture of my mental state, yesterday I started reading some Tolstoy and swatted flies on the roof of the camper as I lay on the top bunk...they're everywhere at the moment. I'm also finding that the coin-op laundry provides a strange oasis - if you chose, it gives you an excuse to sit in a place and do nothing for an hour. The sound of the machines pulsating is also quite comforting.

All of us are starting to think about what we'll be doing next: some are returning home, others have further travel plans. Christian left today with his parents who have come over from Denmark for a family holiday. Scuba and Timmy will also be leaving early. For the rest of us, our departure date is unknown. It all depends on when the corn gets ready in Faulkton (the final crop that we will cut). We will probably wrap up in mid-November, but not having a more specific schedule is frustrating me.

Once we finish I'm planning on joining a Contiki Tour in New York, traveling to Los Angeles via the South over three weeks. I've never considered myself a Contiki traveler but one of the other guys on the crew can't speak highly enough of his experience. Plus you never know unless you try.

I'm really hoping that I'll have some time to get lost in New York before the tour starts; just me, my ipod, a lot of people that I can observe but don't need to speak to, bookstores, music stores, bars, sidewalks, subways, and maybe a hot dog or two.