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From the Camino to Nebraska to the Sahara to Tuscany

From the Camino to Nebraska to the Sahara to Tuscany

Plot twists abound.

Holly Hanau
November 30, 2024

Hey you,

Welcome to the Alta Adventures Monthly Newsletter.

Last month I finally gained the courage to open up about the struggles I faced while living in France. It wasn’t easy. It was actually really scary. The feedback I received from a lot of people after sharing that was incredible—it reminded me how important it is to face those fears and be vulnerable, because we never know how our words can inspire others.

I shared about how I planned to fullfil a dream of mine for my 30th birthday this year. I walked the Camino de Santiago and it changed the entire course of my life. I went there for solitude and the space and clarity to decide if I wanted to stay in my marriage or not.

❝

Though deep down I already knew what I needed to do, the Universe answered my question in completely unexpected ways, almost handing me my answer on a silver platter over and over again.

I ended my relationship, and after the Camino was over I packed up my life of the last five years in Europe (I moved to Madrid, Spain to teach English in 2019! I can’t believe it’s been that long). I donated most of my stuff and moved the rest back to my mom’s house in Nebraska where I spent the remainder of the summer.

Photo of all my belongings after about 8 donated bags. I really need to work on my accumulation of material things.

After leaving Nebraska at the end of September, my life since has been nothing but an uncertain whirlwind. I still feel like every day I’m trying to catch my breath, but, much like on the Camino, I’m putting one foot in front of the other and doing my best to move forward with the faith that it’s all unfolding exactly as it should.

There has been so much that has happened in the last seven months since I left for the Camino that it’s almost impossible to sum up. No, seriously. I couldn’t make some of this shit up if I TRIED.

My life right now feels like some ridiculous slapstick romcom gone horribly wrong and you’re sitting there thinking “why would the writers put that in the story?”

But I’ll choose to focus on the gratitude—like climbing mountains in Slovenia, having the chance to stand by one of my oldest friends on her wedding day, gathering with three of my best friends for the first time in seven years, visiting the Redwood Forest with my family and experiencing the magic of the Sahara Desert in Morocco. I can’t put into words how awe-inspiring those dunes were. Just take it from me and avoid the meatball tajine if you ever visit.

Probably my favorite photo of me ever taken — in the Erg Chebbi Sahara Desert near Merzouga, Morocco.

I have spent the last month doing a work exchange I found through a website called WWOOF (which stands for WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms) in Tuscany, Italy. I exchanged a few hours of labor a day for accommodation and meals.

I worked on an agriturismo (which is a combination of the Italian words agricoltura and turismo, where owners of small, independent farms in Italy rent out a few rooms for guests) and assisted them with new website copy and branding and helped with the olive harvest.

I got a gnarly black eye at the end from falling on my face moments after we finished picking the olives. I keep telling myself it’s all for the plot.

We had the process nailed down by the end!

Mike Tyson met me on the ground with a right hook

It was my first work exchange and I learned valuable lessons from being surrounded by nature, eating delicious food, and getting to know some wonderful new friends. I lived in one of the buildings on the property with four other volunteers. We got along so well and encouraged and supported one another in our personal projects. It was truly the perfect place for me to be during that time.

The Agriturismo farm I volunteered at nestled in the Tuscan hills.

I’ve signed up for another work exchange platform called WorldPackers. Looking through all the opportunities there has me really excited for my next chapter, which involves more work exchanges and more adventures and possibly some islands.

Over the last few months, I’ve been pouring my heart into something very close to me—something inspired by my life-changing Camino journey. Let’s just say January will bring something truly special for those curious about walking the Camino and the twists and turns it brought to my life.