I survived my first harvest! Harvest is the reason I have basically taken a leave from blogging. Let me tell you a little about my experience. Oh and I actually have pictures for once. So keep reading.
For my first harvest season, I worked at the beet dump. What the heck is a beet dump? Well, it's this awesome giant open place where farmers send their trucks full of sugar beets and dump them off in a giant pile of other beets. Pretty complicated right? My job was to take beet samples and record the trucks' numbers and their corresponding dirt weights. I worked 14 hours a day six days a week. Sometimes my days were shorter but that was the majority.
I got really dirty everyday.
I wore the same jeans everyday.
I showered at night...didn't do my hair...and didn't wear makeup.
I ate one sandwich or wrap for either lunch or dinner everyday.
I wore a hardhat, bright orange vest, and sweet safety glasses.
I spent all my time in a tiny little shack with two sometimes three whole windows.
I got to see my husband throughout the day.
I learned a new hobby.
I made friends.
That list could go on and on. I thought this would be such a stressful and exhausting experience but I have to say, it was amazing. I had no idea how depressed and lonely I was getting. I thought I was okay spending my days at home alone keeping myself somewhat busy. I cried a few times because I felt like I didn't have any friends and that my old friends didn't care about me anymore. But overall I felt alright. I was so incredibly wrong...I was not okay. My spirits soared once I was around people everyday. Talking. Laughing. Working. I hadn't felt so happy in a long time. I tried to embrace every experience with other people out at the beet dump. I met some seriously awesome people. I had such a fantastic time that I was actually somewhat sad to get my little pink slip last night. I knew it was coming but I'm going to miss having people to spend time with everyday. That little tare shack really brings out a person's personality...especially since you're in it together for 14 hours. Even though I was sad, I still met a couple people that I know I will keep up with and do things with. Brianne, if you ever read this, just know that you
seriously made my experience out there the best ever. You rock.
Anyways here are some pictures so you can get a feel for what I actually did out there!
Here is an almost unloaded truck. I forgot to get a pic of a fully loaded one.
The giant pile of beets. The go up that cool thing called a boom and dump off.
My outdoor work station
I push those two levers...
then wait for the beets to come down the chute...
then push them again if I don't get enough in the bag...
then secretly dump some out of the bag gets too full...
then tie it up and carry it over to the box full of other samples.
That little building on the left is where I spent all my time. Yes it's tiny, but awesome. The crate has all the samples in it.
My indoor work station.
Pretty snazzy huh?
I'm so so so glad I got the opportunity to work out there. It was a new experience that I was nervous for but so many good things came from it. Soon, I'll post all my projects from my new hobby which will remain a mystery. I'm obsessed with it and can't wait to show you.
